Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. Hope you enjoy the story.

Summary: Shadows begin to mysteriously appear. The Sailor scouts are out of highschool and realize their worst nightmares have only begun. Everyone around is in danger. How can Sailor Moon save her friends if she can't save herself? UsagiXSeiya, MinakoXYaten, TaikiXAmi

Hidden In The Shadows

Chapter One:

A new day had arrived for the beginning of Usagi's most dangerous quest, which she was soon to find out as the sun began to rise. Usagi slowly pulled her blanket off her and began to sit up. She yawned putting her hand to her mouth as she stood from her bed feeling quite anxious for some reason, but she didn't know why. She put on some clothes and fixed her hair up into what was called as Seiya phrases "Odango hair."

Usagi looks around her apartment and realizes Rei has already left. She opens the kitchen cupboard to grab some breakfast and notices a note on the fridge. Oh crap, Usagi thinks as she reads the note from her roommate: "Usagi- knowing you, I thought I'd remind you to meet us at the café around noon. See you there- don't be late. Love, Rei." Usagi suddenly gasped as she glanced at the clock. "It's already 12:09!!" She quickly ran out the door hoping Rei wouldn't scold her. Usagi was in such a hurry that she didn't notice a dark figure watched her every move.

Usagi saw her friends from the distance and started to charge at them. While Rei was in a conversation with the other girls she felt a strong pull on her arm, which immediately made her fall down. She looked to see what pushed her to the ground and low and behold Usagi was in front of Rei rubbing her head. Usagi smiled as she replied "Oh..sorry Rei." "Usagi, Usagi. Watch where your going and your late!" Rei felt irritated.

"Come on you guys. Lets go." Minako said. Soon the girls all started to head for the café. From behind the corner of a building a shadow watched as the girls approached the café. Surprisingly Rei paused on the sidewalk and felt a dark aura around her.

"What's the matter Rei?" Makoto asked wondering why she stopped. Rei looked around her and the shadow faded out of her sight.

"Hmm… Its nothing, Let's go inside." Rei suggested as the girls walked into the café. They all sat at a table and started to order what they wanted to drink. While Minako was telling the waiter what she would like Rei suddenly felt a dark feeling again from before. She glanced behind her through the window and saw a shadowy figure across the street from the café. Rei starred hard trying to find out what it was she felt so unsafe about when the figure suddenly disappeared into the dark mist. Rei squinted her eyes wondering what it could have been not realizing that her name was being called.

"Rei? Rei? Rei!" Usagi tried to get her attention. "What?" Rei asked a little shaken up. Ami was starting to get concerned. "Rei are you alright?"

"You've been acting strange since we got here? Is something wrong?" Makoto was wondering why she was acting so weird. "No I'm fine you guys, don't worry. I guess I'm just a little tired that's all." Rei waved her hands in the air showing there was nothing to worry about.

Usagi starts giggling quietly making the other girls curious. "What's so amusing Usagi?" Minako asked with an eyebrow raised. "Oh nothing" replied Usagi with a sly grin on her face. "I just find it funny that Rei failed to mention why she is a little tired….especially after last night's episode."

Rei was breathing flames. "USAGI!! You weren't supposed to tell anyone!!" Usagi burst out laughing so pleased with herself while the other girls started pleading and yelling at her to spill the dirt on Rei's prior night.

"FINE!! I'll tell you!" Rei screamed and they all sat back down. Usagi was covering her mouth trying not to laugh. Rei gave her a death look and Usagi shrugged sheepishly. Taking a deep breath, Rei slowly explained, "I…..was….. sigh….with Yūichirō last night."

"OH!!" the girls all said in unison. " And from what I heard, it went pretty well" Usagi said with a smile so huge you could barely see her eyes. " Last time I tell you anything meatball brains." Rei said and took a huge bite of her ice cream. "Oh come on Rei- it's not like I don't tell you all of my juicy stories." They continued talking about boys and school and food, but Ami drew eerily quiet. All she could think about was Usagi….how could she? Ami had to know….right now.

Ami suddenly pulled Usagi aside and whispered in her ear with concern. "I just don't understand how this could happen…"

"Well Yūichirō and Rei have liked each other for a while….so it's not that surprising." Ami became frustrated and pulled Usagi away from the group with just enough force on Usagi's arm that she knew something was wrong. The girls kept on chatting away at the table. Once out of the girl's hearing range, Ami sternly asked, " I mean you and Seiya, Usagi. How could this happen? Did Mamoru mean nothing to you?! I just don't understand how you could have all of this history with him and then break it off like it meant nothing to you!"

Usagi's smile faded fast and even though she was trying not to be defensive, it was showing in her tone as she replied, "Ami- I didn't just "break" it off. We were already broken up, remember? And I don't appreciate you saying to me that Mamoru meant nothing, because all that tells me is that you don't know me at all. Mamoru was my world. I thought for sure we would end up together." Ami interrupted with "You were SUPPOSED to end up together. It was your destiny Usagi. I don't think you've thought this through at all. Instead you've just thrown the man of your dreams out the door for a new hot fling."

Now Usagi was mad- politeness was a past tense for her…no longer in her dictionary. " Jeez AMI!! You like him so much, YOU GO BE WITH HIM!! I am quite aware that all of the scouts are in shock as well as Mamoru for my decision to be with Seiya, but it's MY DECISION!! Not yours! Not Mamoru's! Not even Seiya's!! Mine Ami! That's what free agency is!" Just then, Usagi stopped screaming because she realized the entire café was staring at her, and everyone else had gone silent.

"I am with Urawa! Have been for two years now!" Ami says defensively. "WOOP DI DOO BUBBLE HEAD!!" Usagi screams throwing her hands in the air and walks out of the café. Ami looks at the other scouts and runs out after Usagi.

"Usagi! Don't walk away from me! I am talking to you!" Usagi flips around and yells "Well I'm done talking to you!" Ami screams, "It's just impure Usagi! I don't care how you defend yourself! I'm just trying to be a good friend and watch out for you!" Usagi scoffs and walks back to Ami.

Pointing her finger at Ami, Usagi states with clenched teeth, " Ami- I'm impure?! I'm IMPURE!! You're after everything male in sight! You may look all sweet, intelligent, and innocent, but you're after every guy that shows you the least bit of attention!" With that statement Ami gets a shocked look on her face and gasps. Usagi starts counting off men on her hand, "Urawa, Mamoru, Taiki! Probably Yūichirō and Yaten! Who's next Ami? My NEW HOT FLING??"

By this time the other scouts have arrived, and Rei covers Usagi's mouth as she continues to spurt things that can't be understood. "Usagi!! Usagi!! Ami!! Get a hold of yourselves! You two are going crazy! Someone's going to call the police soon reporting a domestic violence case!" Minako screams trying to break the two up.

Ami had tears running down her cheeks and said, "I can't believe you would say that Usagi! I can't believe you would say that to me!" Usagi removes Rei's hand from her mouth long enough to say, "believe it!" and Rei's hand resumes over her mouth. Ami storms off and Makoto follows her to make sure she's okay.

Rei finally takes her hand off of Usagi's mouth and spins her around and starts shaking her. "WHAT WERE YOU DOING USAGI!! WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THAT?? YOU HAD THE ATTENTION OF THE ENTIRE CAFÉ!!" Usagi calms down and says, " Rei- I…I didn't know what to do….I was so mad. If it wasn't Ami, I would have killed her. She is always making me feel like this loopy can't make up her mind goes with the flow airhead, and I'm sick of it! I'm not in high school anymore! And this is stupid high school drama! I'm done! I'm done!"

Minako sits down and the other two follow. "So….how are we going to fix this?" she said pensively. Usagi starts crying and says, " I know that this isn't what everyone expected. Believe me; I didn't expect it to turn out this way either. But I've got to follow my heart. And I expect you guys to support me. Is that so wrong?" Rei and Minako hugged Usagi.

Makoto attempts to comfort Ami, but not doing so well. " I hate her! I don't ever want to speak with her again!" Ami spurted between sobs. " I'm sure she didn't mean it Ami" Makoto said with a frown. " She was just upset and probably unsure about the whole Seiya situation. So why don't you cut her a little slack?" Ami shot a death look Makoto's way and retorted, " Cut her slack? Isn't that what everyone does? Isn't that what everyone has always done? I'm so sick of her getting away with everything." Makoto looked at Ami with confusion.

"Ami what are you talking about? I have never seen you like this. You're making a huge deal out of something small." Ami stands up and starts walking away. Makoto jolts up and walks after her. " Ami- what is going on?!" " I don't need any advice from you Makoto!" Ami said and then spots the stars heading their way. Makoto spots them as well, and predicts the outcome from a mile away. Oh no, she thought.

Without hesitation, Ami marches right up to the stars, and starts yelling at Seiya, " This is all your fault! If you would have just stayed on your damn planet, our lives would be normal. But no! You had to come here and mess everything up! You screwed up Usagi's life, mine, and everyone else's!" Seiya had a shocked and blank look on his face. He was very unprepared for this random outburst.

"Ami, if I've done anything to offend you, I'm truly sorry…." Seiya said but Ami cut off his sentence with, " You've already offended me! Offended me to no end! The damage is done Seiya! I always thought, I'll just hold my tongue. I won't say anything. Well guess what?! I'm tired of people not knowing what I'm thinking! I don't like you…." Ami looks at Yaten and Taiki and adds, " Any of you!" All of the stars are blown away.

This is like an evil Ami….not the one they know. Taiki takes a step forward and says gently, "Ami, what did we do to make you so upset with us?" Ami snaps her head towards him with tears in her eyes and says, " Why don't you guys go back from where you came from." With that, silence poured over them all. Yaten looks at her and without hesitation remarks, " Bitch". Ami gasps again, and this time it's Taiki who's covering Yaten's mouth. Ami runs away and the stars look at Makoto for explanation. The look on her face lets them know she's just as lost as they are. Makoto waves and books after Ami. Taiki stops Makoto and offers to go after her. The shadow watched unnoticed.