Minna-san,
After revisions and editing, and yet more changes, here is the final version
of Chapter 14 of GotS. Enjoy it. :)

Ja ne,
Greywolf

P.S. Send any comments to 'greywolf@eagle.ca' since I left the ML a month
     ago. ^_-

Special Thanks: "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl for editing, good ideas and
                comments, and providing me with Sailor Moon stories to
                enjoy! Thanks Will!

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, Sailor Senshi and all terms, names etc associated
            with the series are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha.
            The Guardians and everything pertaining to the Star Kingdoms are
            MINE!


                   Sailor Moon: Guardians of the Star
             Chapter 14 Dragon Strike: Kin Versus Kindred

Maeribeth peeked through the brush surrounding the grounds and turned to
the two elves with a look of disgust. "These Dark Empire enemies of
yours aren't really very imaginative!" she said scornfully. Lynn and
Greywolf exchanged confused looks. "Whatever are you talking about,
Maeribeth?" Lynn demanded as Greywolf took a look at what had caused the
Dragonkin's reaction. He covered his mouth to hold in an incredulous
laugh. He turned to the Eldara.

"A haunted house?!" he scoffed, "You can't be serious!" Lynn held in her
own laughter as she saw what had elicited her companions' reactions.
"I'm not," Maeribeth returned with a grin, "But THEY seem to be!"

<<Eldara,>> Avalon's thought reached her, <<I have come and brought
others with me, as you commanded.>> Maeribeth turned to her companions.
"Come!" she commanded, "My Kin have arrived and are waiting for us." She
led them into a copse of trees a short distance from the house, where
they found three Dragonkin awaiting them.

"Avalon, have you only brought two with you?" Maeribeth asked
incredulously. He smiled in reassurance. "A full Wing awaits us above
the clouds, Eldara," he explained, "You and I can lead the Dark Kindred
that follow us into an ambush. These two can join Greywolf and Lynn in
assaulting the house."

Maeribeth thought for a moment and nodded her approval. She turned to
the curious elves. "Greywolf, Aisllynnia, this is Liliannath once known
as Deadly Nightshade," she explained as the black clad Dragonkin stepped
forward, "And this is Azeroth. I'll let her explain her specialty when
we go." However, Lynn gasped at seeing Azeroth. "Dark blue eyes, gold
symbol...Goddess! You're an Empath!" she exclaimed. Azeroth nodded and
smiled at her.

Maeribeth grinned at Lynn's surprise. "Well? Is everyone ready?" she
asked as she and Avalon changed to their Dragonkin forms. "Just a
moment," Lynn requested, "I have an idea I want to try." She
concentrated and her Soul Gem materialized above her. She raised her
hands and the Soul Gem lowered into them at her mental command.

She glanced at Greywolf, grinned, and pressed the Soul Gem to her chest.
With a flash, it merged with her. When the flash of light faded,
Greywolf looked. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, unable to believe
what he was seeing. The others were stunned speechless. Before them,
stood a Sailor Senshi. Her knee height boots were silver with gold
stripes, as was her skirt. The eight pointed star was on her boots, on
the broach she wore on her gold colored bow at chest height, and lastly,
on her tiara. She was still recognizably Aisllynnia, but a Senshi!

"Well?" she laughed at their expressions, "Aren't you going to greet
Sailor Alare?" Greywolf's jaw dropped even farther. "S-sailor...Alare?!"
he sputtered. She laughed again. It wasn't often that she got to rattle
her beloved, and she was rather enjoying the experience. "Relax,
Beloved!" she chuckled, "I'm not actually a Senshi. That part is to
confuse Morgoth's toadies. They think they know all the Senshi, well,
I'm going to provide one that they don't know!"

Greywolf looked confused. "A good plan," he commented, "But why merge
with your Soul Gem?" "Because I found out, by accident, that with the
Gem inside me, I can use my powers similarly to the way the Senshi do,"
she explained, "It would be obvious if I summoned my Gem, that I'm not a
Senshi. Just as each Senshi commands an element, so do I! Aether is my
power in this form as well. NOW I'm ready." She looked at Maeribeth, who
shook herself from her daze.

"Good!" she returned, "Avalon?" It was a few moments before he turned to
her. "The Wing Leader dipped below the clouds for a brief survey of the
area," he reported, "Good thing we can merge with the clouds so well!"
He grinned. "There IS a shield around the property that CAN be passed
through. No chance of surprise however. The Leader spotted four Dark
Kindred sunning themselves but there may be more that he DIDN'T see."
Maeribeth sighed. "That's what Azeroth and Lily are here for," she said
patiently, "To take out any Dark Kindred that don't follow US. Now,
let's go!"

With heavy beats of their wings, the two Dragonkin sprang aloft. The
four left behind watched intently as the two rose higher and higher into
the sky. Suddenly, the two dove at the house unleashing streams of
flame.  There was a high pitched scream of rage that choked off
abruptly. "Hmmm. They actually managed to get one!" Lily commented with
a nasty smile. Other cries of fury erupted from around the property as
the two airborne Kin pulled out of their dive and began climbing
rapidly. Jet black forms exploded from the trees around the house in
furious pursuit.

"One...three...Oh my goodness!" Azeroth said mildly, "Six of them.
Morgoth really pulled all his forces in for this one, didn't he?" Lynn
watched as Avalon and Maeribeth disappeared into the clouds. "You seem
rather unconcerned," she stated with a frown. Lily turned when the Dark
Kindred entered the clouds. "The Wing will ambush them when they exit
above the clouds," she explained, "We need not be concerned about them
any further. Now, the way is clear, so let us go."


The young man studied the glowing shield around them and turned to
regard the little old man seated on the floor. "Grandpa! We gotta do
somethin', man!" he whispered urgently, "We can't just sit here! We
gotta warn Rei!" He shook his head in disbelief. "I still can't believe
that Rei is Sailor Mars. You sure that pointed-eared dudette knew where
she was comin' from?"

Grandpa opened his eyes and regarded his young charge thoughtfully. "She
was rather cute, wasn't she?" he commented with a wicked grin.
"Grandpa!" Yuuichiro exclaimed. "Easy, Yuuichiro, I'm teasing only. Rei
IS Sailor Mars. While I've never had positive proof, I have always
suspected that it might be so. The cute one merely confirmed my belief.
Now, are you ready to leave our prison?"

Grandpa rose slowly to his feet while Yuuichiro watched him in
disbelief.  "Uh, Grandpa, there's like, this little problem," he pointed
out, gesturing at the glowing shield.

"Am I not a priest, Apprentice?" Grandpa Hino demanded, "Have faith!"
Grandpa reached into his robe and withdrew a slip of paper with writing
on it. He muttered under his breath for a few moments, and then stuck
the paper to the surface of the shield. It immediately started to
smolder. The shield flickered and died as the paper burned to ash.

"Hurry!" Grandpa commanded, grabbing Yuuichiro by the arm an dragging
him to the door. When they reached the door, there was a flash and
Yuuichiro turned to see the shield was back up, with them outside it
this time.

"How'd you DO that?!" he gasped. Grandpa grinned widely. "It's a slight
variation on the prayer strip we use to paralyze a person who's
possessed," he explained, "Essentially, I paralyzed the shield."

Grandpa opened the door carefully and peeked out. "No guards," he
observed, "How careless of them. Let's see if we can find our way OUT of
this place." He sighed, "I really would like to see that cute girl
again. She really had a nice....." Yuuichiro broke in. "Not now,
Grandpa! Let's split, man! Before they find us!"


Lily drew her swords and nodded at Lynn. Lynn threw the front door open
as Greywolf and Lily leveled their weapons at the entrance. Nothing came
charging out, and they relaxed fractionally. "I kind of hoped they'd
come out and fight," Azeroth commented as she nervously rubbed her arms,
"This place REALLY gives me the creeps!"

"That's what they want," Lynn observed quietly, "They want us nervous
and off-balance." She entered the huge hallway of the house with the
others right behind her. Once the last one passed through, the door
slammed shut.

"So glad you could join us!" a voice called as the hallway brightened to
reveal a female Kashalkanite elf in black armor. Azeroth changed to her
Kin form, but Lily gripped her swords and faced a Dark Kindred with
Azeroth beside her.

Greywolf and Lynn faced a trio of Dark elves and a large arachnoid
creature that they both recognized at once. <Arachnian!> Lynn looked up
at Lieriana. "Tell me, does this melodrama you always employ serve some
deep seated needs of yours?" Lynn said mockingly. Lieriana turned her
hate filled amber eyes on the mocking Shalhannanite elf and snarled,
"Your friends have been MOST effective! I'll see that YOU will pay
DEARLY for their success, I assure you!" Her eyes widened as she noticed
the Sailor fuku that Lynn was wearing.

"I know all the Senshi!" she said flatly, "Who the heck are YOU?!" Lynn
grinned. "Since the other Senshi have apparently kicked your butt,
perhaps you'll allow the newest Senshi, Sailor Alare, to do the same!"

Lieriana was about to respond when she noticed Azeroth. Her gold scales
and midnight blue eyes made the Dark elf's eyes widen. <An empath!> she
thought with glee, <Oh HAPPY day!> She summoned silently and was
answered.

Swirling blackness formed before them as Lynn gasped with horror. "The
Soul Eater!" she cried, "Azeroth, RUN! Get out of here, QUICK!" Azeroth
turned confused eyes on the panic stricken elf. "Too LATE!" Lieriana
crowed as a black tendril shot from the Soul Eater and snared Azeroth
around the throat. She gave a strangled cry as the searing pain of the
creature's alien emotions surged through her very being. As she
collapsed, another tendril of pure darkness joined the first around the
stricken Empath's neck.

"Now, I suggest that you surrender to me, at once!" Lieriana gloated,
"You KNOW what a Soul Eater can do to an Empath!" As they hesitated, she
sent a command to Morgoth's creature. Dark lightning flickered down its
tendrils and played over Azeroth's form as she shrieked in unbearable
agony. "Surrender," she repeated flatly, "NOW!"


Haeth stared at the sight before her, tears of anguish streaming down
her cheeks. "Mama!" she whispered. Before her, a dark cloud hovered, its
form outlined by occasional flickers of dark lightning. Dark tendrils
ran from the creature to the Dragonkin Queen lying on the ground. The
area was surrounded by Border Legion soldiers, but none of them dared
approach and Haeth didn't blame them. A Soul Eater was nothing to trifle
with. Even SHE didn't know what to do!

Someone ran up from behind her, breathing heavily. "Haeth! What's...?"
The newcomer got a good look at the scene before her and gasped.
"MOTHER!" she cried. Haeth turned to look and saw her older sister,
Sarenath. "What can we do?!" Haeth whispered. Sarenath studied her
mother with grief, noting the terrible smoking burns that had striped
her scales away. She turned to Haeth, her thoughts working fast. Haeth
was the most powerful Soul Healer born to the Kin in over a generation,
but she was largely untrained. <I, on the other hand am fully trained,
but have only a fraction of her power,> she thought.

Sarenath shimmered into her Kin form. "Haeth!" she cried, "Place your
hands on my shoulder and transfer your power to me! Hurry!" Haeth did as
her elder sister commanded, and using her younger sister's awesome
power, Sarenath destroyed the Soul Eater. The two sisters walked up to
their mother, weeping. The beautiful golden scales were marred by great
smoking rents. She was dying. Sarenath gently placed her hands on her
mother's head and healed her wounded soul.

"We need a physical healer!" Haeth whispered urgently as she got up to
find one. Sarenath seized her arm and shook her head. "An Empath wounded
by a Soul Eater is BEYOND help, little one!" she said with a sob, "The
wounds they inflict CAN'T be healed!" The Empath's eyes opened and
focused on her grieving hatchlings. "Sarenath, look after your sister
and see to her training," she breathed out with difficulty, "Haeth,
study well! And tell....Askalon..that I...love....him!" Her eyes closed
and she breathed no more. The Border Legion soldiers, to a man, knelt in
respect at the passing of the Queen of Kindar.

Haeth looked at her mother's body in disbelief. "NO!!!" she cried out in
grief, "NO, MA....."


"MAAAAAA!!!" Haeth screamed as she woke from her nightmare. She was
leaning against a tree in one of the Shrine's meditation glades. <I must
have fallen asleep,> she thought as she tried to shake off her dream.
She heard running footsteps, and as her friends burst into the glade,
the feeling of utter dread she had, deepened. She knew instantly, with a
Soul Healer's instinct, what was happening. "Haeth-chan!" Usagi cried,
taking her Kin Sister's shaking hands, "What's wrong?" Haeth turned
desolate eyes on her Sister. "It's happening again! What killed my
mother! IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN!!" she screamed as she pulled her hands
away and shimmered into her Kin form. "I have to go! The others need my
help!"

Usagi transformed to Sailor Moon. "Then I go with you!" she stated
firmly. She looked around at the others, weary from the battles they had
fought. "The rest of you stay here," she commanded, "Haeth and I will
deal with this." The others looked disgruntled but Rei spoke up angrily.
"You're as tired as we are!" she argued, "Besides, it's MY family that
they are rescuing!"  Haeth interrupted them, "I must GO, I MUST go!" she
cried as she rustled her wings in her agitation. "OK, the others will be
of no use, tired and drained as they are," Sailor Moon stated, looking
at the tired faces looking back at her. Rei was about to respond again
when Sailor Moon silenced her with a stern look. Chibi-Usa broke in,
"I'm not tired. I can help!"

Noir moved forward, as Sailor Moon shook her head. "I can take her,
Princess!" she offered. Sailor Moon looked from Noir to her daughter and
a slow smile formed on her face. She nodded her acceptance and turned to
mount Haeth, as Noir transformed with Chibi-Usa and helped her to mount.
"Be careful, Usagi! Chibi-Usa!" Ikuko cried tearfully. Sailor Moon blew
her mother a kiss as the two dragons leapt skyward.


Chibi-Moon sat astride Noir's neck and wondered what was going on.
<We're on our way to something serious,> she thought, <And I'm so happy
that I think I'll burst!> She couldn't prevent a wide smile from
appearing on her young face. When she looked down at her mount, she was
startled by the strong surge of affection that went through her. <She's
nice, but I hardly know her! What's going on?!>

Noir was concerned. She knew herself quite well, yet, she couldn't
explain the strange emotion that possessed her, nor the fierce
protectiveness she suddenly felt for her young rider. <Why, I nearly
snapped at Haeth when she flew too close!> she thought, aghast, <What,
in the Goddess' name is WRONG with me?!> Disturbed, she continued
following Haeth to their destination.


Above the clouds, fierce battle raged as the outnumbered Dark Kindred
fought with all the fury they possessed. Maeribeth gasped as a feeling
of terrible evil flooded over her. Her Soul Healer instincts sent her a
silent alarm and without a moment's hesitation, she dove. <<Avalon! Take
over! I'm needed below!>> Avalon sent a wordless acknowledgment as she
disappeared into the clouds.


"Man, you're not actually gonna do it?!" Yuuichiro exclaimed as Grandpa
moved forward, prayer strip in hand. "I MUST, young one!" Grandpa said
calmly, "These people are here to rescue us. See the pretty one? I do
not know her, but she is a Senshi! The others must have sent them."

Behind the Soul Easter, he stepped out of hiding and threw the strip at
the Soul Eater. When it struck, the creature let out a keening shriek
that no earthly throat could have produced. Its tendrils vanished from
the now senseless Azeroth's throat as dark electricity sparked around
the prayer strip. Already, the edges were blackening. "NOW!" he gasped
as sweat poured down his face, "I cannot hold it for long!"

At his cry, the others attacked. Nightshade was a blur of motion, her
twin katanas moving so fast, that the Dark Kindred had no chance to
defend himself before he was bleeding from several wounds.

"AETHER STORM BLAST!" Lynn cried as a vortex of crackling blue energy
exploded from her hands to engulf the three Dark elves. They screamed as
their very substance distorted in the raw Aether blast. A flash of
light, and there were three less Dark elves to trouble the world.

The Arachnia charged Greywolf with blinding speed, poisonous fangs
dripping with smoking venom. A shriek as Nightshade buried her katanas
in the Dark Kindred's skull distracted him enough to allow the giant
spider to knock him to the floor and pin him down. Greywolf looked up at
the venomous fangs above him. <Look's like this is it!> he thought as he
struggled desperately to escape the Arachnia's hold.

A high pitched chittering cut through the sounds of battle. The Arachnia
recognized the sound at once as it backed fearfully off its victim, all
the while looking about frantically for the source of the sound.

A crimson blur dove from above, its tail lashing out with deadly intent.
The Arachnia desperately tried to avoid the incoming strike, to no
avail. The Drakkalan's stinger cut through the Arachnia's chitinous
armor like a hot knife through butter. The Arachnia stiffened and
disintegrated into ashes.

"It's breaking free!" Grandpa Hino gasped, "I can hold it no longer!"
The prayer strip burned to ashes as the Soul Eater broke free with a
triumphant shriek of unearthly fury.

"Everyone! Get back!" a familiar voice called. As everyone instinctively
obeyed the command, Haeth and Sailor Moon stepped forward. "No, Sister!"
Haeth said softly, "This is MY fight. It's the reason that Soul Healers
exist. Get back with the others." Sailor Moon cast a long look at Haeth
and obeyed her Kin Sister.

"Just so, My Daughter, but you will not fight alone!" Maeribeth stated
as she joined Haeth, "You are but half trained, but I, I am fully
trained! Follow my lead." The two Soul Healers immediately assumed their
Kin forms and began to glow with unearthly power. Maeribeth raised her
foreclaws and bolts of bright healing radiance flew from them, striking
the Soul Eater with hammer like blows as it shrieked in agony. Haeth's
bolts struck a second after Maeribeth's, adding to the creature's agony.
Both Healers kept it up, blow after blow, as the mortally wounded
creature strove to escape. With a blinding flash of light, the Soul
Eater was gone, destroyed by the living radiance of the Soul Healers.
Haeth and Maeribeth returned to their human forms and sagged wearily to
the floor.

Everyone rushed to the Healers as Lieriana stared in shock. Her Lord's
prized creature was gone! <Uh oh!> she thought as everyone turned to
look at her. "This isn't over!" she snarled, covering her fear, "Victory
will yet be MINE!" She flickered and vanished.

<<WELL! I guess it is TOO much to hope for that you can stay out of
trouble while I'm visiting my kinfolk,>> a caustic voice commented in
everyone's mind, <<but I'm surprised that even YOU can get yourself into
THIS much trouble, Greywolf!>>

"Sting?!" Greywolf gasped in shocked surprise. The little Drakkalan flew
through the air and landed on his friend's shoulder. <<No, I'm actually
back home, surrounded by nubile young Drakkalan females!>> Sting
returned sarcastically, <<What you're seeing is a hallucination brought
about by sniffing too much plant vapor again!>>

Lynn burst out laughing, and rushing to Greywolf, she grabbed Sting from
her Lifemate's shoulder, smothering him in a hug. <<AWK! Careful!>>
Sting squealed, <<You're wrinkling my scales!>>


"Will she be alright?" Sailor Moon asked in concern. Haeth straightened
up from examining the groggy Azeroth. "She will," Haeth reassured her
Sister, "Thank the Goddess the thing only inflicted pain!" Azeroth
groaned and focused her eyes on Haeth. "What WAS that thing?!" she asked
shakily. Haeth put her hand under Azeroth's snout and nodded when she
saw that the Empath was regaining her senses.

"THAT, was a Soul Eater," Haeth explained, "You are VERY lucky, you
know.  Empaths are especially vulnerable to them. My mother was an
Empath and died from the hideous wounds a Soul Eater inflicted." Haeth
looked down, tears in her eyes. "Sarenath and I destroyed the
thing....too late to save Mother." Usagi drew her Sister to her as
Azeroth shifted to human form and used her powers to ease Haeth's grief,
and guilt.


Sailor Chibi-Moon stood next to Noir. "What happened?" she whispered, "I
thought my heart would burst with joy! What happened?!" Noir turned her
blue eyes on Chibi-Moon. "I...I don't know," she stammered, "I've never
felt such a thing in my entire life!"

"You are Kin Bonded, Hatchlings," Maeribeth stated calmly as she walked
over to them, "It means that, in a very special way, you are now
Sisters, Kin Sisters to be precise." Maeribeth regarded the Dark Kindred
thoughtfully. "All your life, you have known rage, hatred and despair,"
she explained gently, "Now, you are part of a bond that will teach you
how to love. First, sisterly love, and later, if you are fortunate, a
Pair Bond will teach you another kind of love!"

<<Eldara! The Dark Kindred have been eliminated. What is happening down
there?>> Avalon's mindvoice broke in. Maeribeth looked up. <<Everything
is fine and we're preparing to return to Hikawa Shrine. How many did we
lose?>> Avalon's reply was immediate. <<We lost three, with two badly
wounded. Shall we return to the Kin Caverns?>> <<Yes, do so. I don't
think Earth is ready for a Wing of Dragonkin yet!>> She turned to the
others. "Well? Shall we go?" she asked.

At everyone's agreement, Lynn's Soul Gem appeared as her Senshi guise
faded away. "Everyone! Gather 'round!" she commanded, "We're outta
here!" The Soul Gem pulsed with power, its light forming a dome over
everyone. It flashed brightly, and when it faded, everyone was gone,
leaving a house freed of the evil which had infested it.

End of Chapter 14

NEXT: Chapter 14 1/2: R & R -Interlude

You didn't seriously think they'd go to the final battle without a rest
did you? DID YOU?! Ah well, sorry to disappoint, but even heroes need a
break. Haeth and Usagi take Hotaru and Arilith in hand, Chibi-Usa and
Noir, Ami and Arilon! BE THERE!!