Summary: It wasn't supposed to be like this. Usagi and Mamoru were supposed to live happily ever after, but Mamoru was taken by the Dark Kingdom. Beryl was defeated but he still stayed in Darkness. Even her senshi decided to join him and Usagi runs. After three years, she returns to settle the score once and for all...

Author's Notes: This is just an idea that I came up with while reading In Darkness by AngelONight I don't know how it's going to turn out, so please review to let me know what you think.

2011 AN: I realized a few days ago that the original story that AngelONight wrote used the Japanese names. To remain consistent, I am slowly going through these chapters and changing the names to the Japanese forms. So if you notice a switch in future chapters, that is why.

Shadows of the Night

By: afallenblackrose

All they gave me was this ticket to heaven

This ticket to heaven

Said to lie in the bed that you make

Now I'm restless and I'm running from everything

I'm running from everything

I'm afraid it's a little too late

~Ticket to Heaven ~3 Doors Down

Serenity, a voice whispered to her and she automatically flinched away from the name. A name she hadn't heard in over three years. A name that was filled with so many memories of her tragic past, one that she wanted to never think about again. But here it was being whispered into her ear.

Princess Serenity can you hear me? The voice asked sounding helpless, broken.

I am not Princess Serenity; you have the wrong girl, Usagi answered. She knew she was dreaming and knew that what was to come in this dream wouldn't be good.

I do not have the wrong girl. I think I would know my own daughter.

Mother?

Yes, Serenity, it is your mother.

What do you want?

Serenity, it is time you returned to Tokyo. It is time you became Sailor Moon once again. You have run away long enough. It is time you conquered your demons and put Earth back on its right course.

Mother, no offense, but if I wasn't strong enough to fight Endymion and the Shitennou then, what makes you think I can fight them now especially when the senshi are now on their side too?

You've become so much stronger since you left them three years ago, Serenity. Just believe in yourself and you can do it. Her mother's voice was fading away.

Easy for you to say, Usagi mused. You didn't have to fight the ones you loved.

Believe in yourself, her mother said and then she was gone.

Usagi opened her eyes, as sunlight entered her room. She closed her eyes again and yawned. So much for a full night's rest, she grumbled in her head. The dream conversation with her mother was still running on repeat in her head. How was she supposed to go back to Tokyo? She had left for a reason, for crying out loud.

*Flashback*

"Serenity," Endymion's cool voice said from the shadows. Usagi looked at him, but for some reason she just looked past him as if he didn't exist. All the Sailor Senshi had turned; defected to the Dark Kingdom the only one left was her. She was really alone.

A silence swept over them. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

"Say something," he interrupted her thoughts.

"There isn't anything to say, Endymion," she replied cold, not caring. He walked towards her, a hand out to her as if to hold her or slap her from this person she was becoming. She looked at him surprised by his reaction. It was his fault that she was like this. If he had just come back to her as Mamoru, she wouldn't be like this. But he had to continue in the Darkness.

"Come with me and this will all end," he whispered in her ear. "Everything would be perfect. We could be together."

"Do you honestly think I would come with you?" She asked. "This isn't how it's supposed to be Endymion. You and I both know that."

"And how is it supposed to be, Serenity?" He seethed. "The Light hasn't done anything for us."

"Hasn't it?" She countered. "It brought us back, it gave us another chance and you're throwing it away." The bed creased as he sat down next to her. It was silent as he thought this over. Then his hand swept away some of her bangs and he took her into his arms. At this point, Usagi was so tired from all the fighting that she didn't fight him. She leaned her head onto his chest and sighed.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair. She sighed again.

"I love you too," she replied. "I don't think I'll ever be able to stop. But I don't love this version of you."

*End Flashback*

Usagi blinked back the memories and got out of bed. It wouldn't do to continue thinking of the past. What she did was done; she couldn't go back and undo it. She wouldn't go back to Tokyo; there was no way in hell…

She turned on the TV and stared in shock as the remote control fell to the ground. But the noise went unnoticed by Usagi, for Tokyo was on CNN, there was a massive black cloud hanging over the city, and from the look of the people on the streets they hadn't seen daylight in years.

What had that imbecile done? She clenched her fist in anger. She couldn't stand for this; she was Sailor Moon defender of love and justice, she couldn't watch helplessly as her old beloved city went to hell. Usagi stood up and turned off the TV. She stalked over to her closet and pulled out a suitcase and started throwing clothes into it haphazardly.

She had her phone in her hand and had already dialed a number.

"What's up, Buns?"

"Haruka, I'm going back to Tokyo," she replied.

There was a silence on the other end and somehow Usagi couldn't blame the other girl for being silent. She had been vehement about not returning to Tokyo since she had arrived in Los Angeles three years ago.

"Are you sure?" Haruka finally asked.

"No," Usagi sighed. "But I have to go back. Did you see the news? There's a major black cloud over the city. I need to go back, I need to protect them. Besides I think I can handle this."

"You think you can handle this?" Haruka asked doubtful. "Hon, you need to be absolutely positive that you can handle this."

"Fine," she replied into the phone. "I can handle this if you and the others come with me."

Haruka laughed, "Why didn't you say so before, Sere? I've been meaning to kick Endymion's ass for years now."

"Don't touch Endymion," Usagi replied cross. "If anyone is going to kick his ass, after all of this, it's going to be me."

Endymion's face was scrunched in concentration. He did this every day since as long as she disappeared. He was trying to find her, but it wasn't working. She was blocking him from finding her or she was dead. He opened his eyes and scowled. He needed to know where she was. It had been three years and he needed to see her, to touch her, anything just as long as he saw her.

Giggles escaped from his friends and subjects rooms. He rolled his eyes; this wouldn't have bothered him if it weren't for the fact that they were giggles of pleasure. All of them had their lover, except for him because she had to pull a disappearing act on him!

He growled.

*Flashback*

Endymion, the four Sailor Senshi and the Shitennou crouched in wait for Sailor Moon to show up. A youma had been released in the park and was causing chaos. She was bound to come and save the humans.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Endymion asked his followers.

"Of course it is," Venus replied. "She's Sailor Moon if innocents are in trouble, she'll come save them." Endymion looked back to the youma and stared. He didn't have the heart to tell her what had happened a few nights ago with Serenity. How she had changed into someone uncaring and how she had stared at him as if he didn't exist.

They crouched in wait.

It had been three hours and she still hadn't showed. The youma was just standing around doing nothing, Endymion and the others were cramping. Where the hell was she?

*End of Flashback*

Endymion slammed his fist onto his throne. She had to be stubborn; she had to be insistent on being on the side of Light. Damn her! He slammed his fist onto his throne again. Kunzite and Minako walked out of the shadows.

"Endymion?" Kunzite asked.

"She is such a stubborn fool!" He exclaimed. Kunzite and Minako exchanged looks. He had been like this for years now, ever since she left without a word. They couldn't even trace her.

"Why did she leave? Why couldn't she come to the darkness as she was told to do?" Endymion mused. "Why couldn't she…." He trailed off as he felt something he hadn't felt in awhile. The familiar connection that they had shared hummed in his mind. It was her, she was back, but something was off about this hum. He stood up in a rush and teleported. He had to go and investigate. Why was she back after all of this time? Where had she been for the last three years? Why was the connection between them different now?

But the real reason that he went to investigate was because he needed to see her again.

Usagi frowned up at the sky as she walked out of her old home. The dark cloud was pissing her off to no end. Upon her return she had seen her parents and they looked drained and tired as if they hadn't slept a good night's sleep in years. They said that it had to do with the cloud. No one could figure out how it arrived and why it was still there after all this time.

But Usagi knew why. The cloud was sucking up people's energy; the Dark Kingdom put the cloud there with help probably from her old friends.

She sighed and continued walking down the street, shaking her head as people sluggishly walked around as if they were zombies. She was going to wreak absolute hell the next time she saw Endymion and the others. She wasn't who she used to be three years ago.

Her mother was right. She was stronger now.

She entered the old Crown Arcade, amazed that it was still there even though no one was inside playing video games.

The bell above the door rang, signaling her entrance.

"I'll be right with you!" Motoki's voice called out from the kitchens. Usagi smiled to herself; at least he still sounded the same. She took a seat at the counter. Motoki came out from the kitchens and made his way towards her, not really seeing her.

"What can I get you?"

"I would like one of your famous double chocolate milkshakes, please," Usagi replied smiling. Motoki frowned as he scribbled it onto his pad.

"Wow, I haven't had to make one of these in three years," he said then looked up. His mouth opened in shock. "Usagi?"

"Hi Motoki-kun, it's been a long time," she replied.

"Long time, my ass!" He exclaimed and ran around the counter to hug her. "Where the hell have you been for the last three years, Buns?"

"Um…out of town?" Usagi replied.

"That's all you're going to give me?"

"Well…" she sighed. Motoki knew about the Senshi business and he knew what had happened with Mamoru and the others. "I had to get away for awhile, actually I had no intention of ever coming back but then I saw the news yesterday. What the hell is going on, Motoki-kun?"

Motoki sighed, "You saw this on the news?"

"Yeah, they think it's some kind of meteorologist phenomenon," Usagi replied as the bell above the door rang again. They both looked to see who had walked in.

"Can I help you?" Motoki asked. A tall blonde had walked in.

"Hey Haruka," Usagi greeted her. "Nice to see you finally made it."

Haruka smiled and made her way over to Usagi, "Is Tokyo always like this?"

"It didn't used to be," she sighed. "But then I disappeared."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Buns," Haruka and Motoki said in unison. They looked at each other.

"Oh, right, Haruka this is Motoki a close friend and Motoki this is Haruka another close friend," Usagi said making introductions.

"Nice to meet you," Motoki said. "I take it you took care of Usagi during her absence?"

Haruka nodded, "Yes, that's right. It's nice to meet you too, Motoki. I've heard a lot about you." They smiled at each other.

"So, what are you going to do about the cloud, Bunny?" Motoki asked.

"I have no idea," Usagi replied. "Did the others make it?"

"Yeah, they're on their way here," Haruka answered.

"The others?"

"Haruka wasn't the only one who was taking care of me while I was away," Usagi answered Motoki's question.

"Oh." They sat in silence, as Usagi was thinking madly. What was she going to do about the dark cloud? She had no idea what she was going to do, but she didn't even know what she was going to do when she saw Endymion and the others. After planning this moment for years, she still came up blank. Some princess she was…

It was just then that she heard a scream.

Usagi and Haruka's heads shot up in alarm.

"Do you think?"

"It's definitely a youma," Usagi nodded. "They're trying to draw me out."

Haruka stared at her, "What do you mean they're trying to draw you out?"

"Endymion knows I'm here, he just doesn't know where," she replied feeling the hum of their connection. It was her mistake to let the block that she had learned to do when she first arrived in L.A. to become undone. "But that doesn't matter. Let's go." Usagi stood up from her stool, smiled at Motoki, and then ran out the door with Haruka following her.

Without saying her usual transformation, Usagi was already in her Sailor fuku, but it was different. Instead of the usual blue it was black, her tiara jewel was purple and her yellow moon earrings were red. This was definitely a different Sailor Moon.

The screams were coming from the park and Sailor Moon stared in shock at how huge this thing was. It was at least an eight-foot youma, and like most of the Dark Kingdom's youma had horrible pastel colored skin (this one was puke green) and long daggers for fingernails.

"My imagination, or is this bitch incredibly tall?" Moon asked Uranus.

"She's definitely a little large," Uranus replied smiling. "But we can handle her easily." Moon nodded at her.

"Just be careful," Moon reminded her. "Endymion, the Senshi and the Shitennou could show up at any minute."

"Please, those guys are total pushovers," Uranus said and jumped onto the scene followed by Moon. The youma who was attacking a few school girls looked up when they arrived on the scene. It was speechless for a moment, before it decided to speak.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Sailor Moon," she said. "I thought you died."

"You wish," Moon countered and brought out her scepter. "Moon Cosmic Power!" She called and a bright white light emitted from the scepter and enveloped the youma. She screeched in pain and became dust.

"Nice one, Sailor Moon!" Uranus exclaimed and did a fist pump.

"Thanks!" Moon replied and then flinched. He was here watching her in the shadows. She could feel him as if he were standing right next to her…

Endymion watched in the shadows as two sailor senshi jumped onto the scene. He was in shock, who were these girls? The only Sailor Senshi left was Sailor Moon and she was there, but something was off about her. She wasn't the same from when he had last seen her. Which lead him to the other senshi. Who was this other girl?

He kept watching in surprise as the eight-foot youma was destroyed in a nano second. What the hell happened to Sailor Moon? She was so powerful! He stared at her in adoration and fear. He saw her flinch and knew that she had felt him.

"Serenity?" He asked as he stepped out of the shadows. Moon turned slowly to face him. She felt Uranus standing beside her. He looked horrible since the last time she saw him. There were bags under his eyes and his five o'clock shadow was back. His eyes were alight with something she was surprised to see there, hope.

"Endymion," she greeted her voice cold. He moved towards her. Uranus tensed beside her and Moon heard her growl.

"Easy, Uranus," she whispered. "He's just curious." She looked back at him as he froze in his tracks.

"You're alive," he said dumbly, not sure what else there was to say.

"Yes, I am."

"I thought you were dead," he whispered. "You look different." He stared at her fuku and tiara. She looked like she had turned to the Darkness. Her eyes were darker and flashing, daring him to come even an inch closer to her. His hand clenched at his side. He wanted so badly to run his hand along her cheek, but she would attack him then. He was almost sure of it.

"I am different," she answered steady. "What do you want Endymion?"

"The same as before," he said finally coming back to the situation at hand. "You know you'll come to us eventually. We have all your friends, you're no match for us, now."

"So you think," Moon seethed. "I am not the same girl from three years ago. You won't be able to defeat me so easily." Endymion stared at her and raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Oh really, what makes you so sure?"

Moon frowned, "Me."

"You?" Endymion asked curious. "Serenity, you're still the same girl from three years ago. You can change your appearance as much as you want but you are still her. You'll come to us soon, it's inevitable."

"My, aren't we the cocky bastard," she countered reaching for her wand. Endymion frowned and jumped over her. She stopped and turned her body to face him, she was glaring. Clearly, pissed off.

"Serenity, how many times have you tried to heal me but couldn't?" He sighed and shook his head. "I thought we would be past this by now."

"Who says I was trying to heal you?" Endymion frowned and his eyes locked on hers. She wasn't joking. She really intended to moon dust him. What the hell had Sailor Moon become?

"You can't kill me, Sailor Moon," he said. "You've tried and failed." He felt the Shitennou and the Sailor Senshi teleport next to him. They all looked in shock at Sailor Moon and the unidentified Sailor Senshi standing next to her.

"Like I've said before, Endymion, I was a different person then," she raised her Moon Wand, her eyes flashing with determination.

"Serenity, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Sailor Venus asked pissed off. "You're willing to dust the person you care most for in this world? Just because you're being stubborn and won't join us?"

"The person I care for most in this world is no longer there," Moon answered. "Endymion isn't Mamoru, he's something else entirely as are you all."

"He's basically pond scum," Uranus replied to Moon. Everyone looked at her.

"And who the hell are you supposed to be?" Kunzite spat. "You look like a Sailor Senshi, but that can't be considering they've all turned to the Dark."

"Not all of them, babe," Uranus winked. "Sailor Uranus. I want to say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I'm afraid it's not."

"Sailor Uranus?" Venus mumbled and looked at her fellow Senshi. They all looked back at her with the same blank look. They didn't know who she was either.

"You think you can defeat me, Serenity?" Endymion asked amused. "I'd like to see you try and fail." Moon's eyes flashed.

"I will not fail," she seethed jumping up into the air and twirling her Moon Wand. "I call upon the power of the celestial maiden Selene to grant me the power of the Moon Kingdom." A bright white light surrounded her and everyone who gazed upon it almost went blind.

"What is this?" Endymion muttered he'd never seen Sailor Moon do this before. Eventually the bright white light faded away to reveal Princess Serenity in all her splendor. Endymion's eyes widened, she was so beautiful in her princess form. She gracefully landed on the ground in front of them. Uranus was bowing to her, but the others just stood staring at her.

Uranus stood up and glared at the other Senshi, "If you had any respect at all you bow to your Princess," she seethed.

"Uranus it is alright," Serenity's angelic voice rang out. "They will deal with their indiscretions when they come back to the Light."

Endymion stepped forward towards her and her eyes flashed in anger at him. "Serenity you are…"

"Save it, Endymion," she cut him off. But he wouldn't have it, he strode forward, fast and within seconds she was in his arms and away from the group. He held her close, revealing in her scent, her touch, and her closeness. She felt so good against him. Even though she was struggling.

"Let go of me at once, Endymon!" She exclaimed her eyes wild with fury. He chuckled.

"You have changed, Serenity," he replied. "There was a time you wouldn't have complained about being so close to me."

"There was also a time when I thought I could save you from the Darkness," she countered. "Guess I was wrong on both accounts."

"As I said before," he smiled. "You could join me in the Darkness, and then everything would be perfect."

"Perfect my ass," she muttered.

"You do have a perfect ass," he whispered in her ear as they landed on a balcony. Serenity looked and rolled her eyes.

"You're old apartment?" She asked. "Kind of foreshadowing things a little bit aren't you?"

"Only a little," he smiled opening the door and letting them inside. He put her down on the couch and was soon on top of her.

She gazed up into his deep blue eyes. She forgot how easily she could get lost in those eyes. She held back a sigh that wanted to escape her lips, that's all she needed was for Endymion to think that she was content in his embrace and underneath him. Serenity scowled. How the hell had she wound up beneath him?

"I've missed you," he whispered huskily nuzzling her neck. Serenity felt herself roll her eyes again.

"Laying it on a little thick, aren't you?" She asked.

Endymion looked up at Serenity, "What happened to you?" He asked her point blank.

"A lot of things," she replied. "But one of them is this." A bright flash of light lifted Endymion off of her and slammed him against the wall. Serenity was up and off the couch before he could move. He stared at her in shock at the sheer force of her power. He wasn't expecting that.

She was right she had indeed changed.

"Serenity," he whispered.

Her eyes flashed at him, "Don't. You know the reason I left and I think you should know the reason I came back." She approached him, but stayed out of his reach. "I came back to free Tokyo from this cloud that you placed over the city. I also came not to heal and restore you to who you once were, but to destroy you. And let me make one thing clear, Endymion. I am not falling and nor will I put up with any of your mind games." She turned on her heal to leave the apartment.

"You wanted a war, Endymion," she whispered as she jumped from the balcony. "You got one."