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, of course. :) Sailor Moon: Guardians of the Star Chapter 15: R&R, an Interlude by Eric Den Biesen When the blinding brightness faded, Sailor Moon and her companions found themselves safe within the shrine grounds. Their friends and families were converging from all directions as they detransformed into their normal forms. Hugs and tears were plentiful for everyone. At last their families were safe, and after a little rest, there was a butt to kick! "Hi Rei!" Yuuichiro called, "Man, that was mmmph...." He was cut off as Rei wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, fervently enough to make his socks roll up and down. Her grandfather stood watching with a wide smile on his face. she sang inside, When she came down from her high, she released him and frowned. Yuuichiro stood stunned, his eyes as wide as saucers, his mouth moving soundlessly. "Oh WOW!" he finally managed in a breathless whisper. Rei's frown grew more ominous, but poor Yuuichiro was too spaced out to notice the danger signs. "And just WHAT were you doing? Getting my grandfather and yourself captured by those scumbags?!" At Rei's angry words, he shook himself and stared at her. he thought as he now noticed the temper sparking in Rei's violet eyes. "But..." he started. "BUT NOTHING!" she snapped, cutting him off, "Have you so little concern for me that you don't even consider how WORRIED I'd be about y..my grandfather when you let yourselves be taken like that?!" Yuuichiro, at this point, was starting to wish he was back with the bad guys again. "But I..." he tried again. "I, I, I!" Rei exploded, "You Peabrain! Is that ALL you can think of? Yourself?" She glared at him furiously. His look grew more confused. Rei thought in despair, Yuuichiro felt a chill course through him at the sudden wicked twinkle in her eyes, when she grabbed him and kissed him again. Grandpa Hino chuckled. "Come, children," he suggested quietly, "Let's continue this indoors shall we?" He herded them into the shrine, with Rei alternating between kisses and scolding the whole way. Liliannath looked frantically around, for the one person she'd waited a thousand years to see. When she found him, she felt the tears well up in her eyes. she thought, holding back her tears with a superhuman effort. Her heart beating like a snare drum, she approached him hesitantly. "Endymion?" she whispered hoarsely, her throat choked with emotion. He turned to regard the lovely girl who called him, with curiosity. He noted the silver dragon symbol with surprise. Random flashes of memory ran through his mind. He and another warrior fighting assassins. He with Serenity in a dingy room, while the other guarded the door. A view from up high, as Wings of dragons descended on some kind of base in an odd looking forest, streams of flame coming from their open jaws. The memory flashes were too short for him to get a good look at the other warrior that had been with him. He frowned slightly as he chased those elusive memories. "Actually, in this time and place, I'm known as Mamoru," he corrected with an abstracted smile, "You are obviously Dragonkin, and just as obviously from the Moon Kingdom. Did I know you there?" he thought in frustration as those memories continued to hover tantalizingly out of reach. she cried in silent despair. Her eyes flooded with tears as she turned away abruptly, so he wouldn't see. "Probably not," she choked out, holding the sobs in until she was alone. For one brief moment before she turned away, Mamoru caught the look of terrible despair on her face. At sight of that, the buried memories surfaced, and he knew her instantly. The warrior in that room with them, had been this GIRL! In his memories, he saw her change to Kin form and he GOT ON! he thought, stunned, And he knew the pain it caused her when he didn't remember her at first. He reached out without thinking and pulled the tiny Dragonkin into his arms. She struggled to escape, not wanting pity. "Lily, please, don't struggle," he begged her. At the sound of her name on his lips, she froze. Slowly, hesitantly, she looked up and met his eyes. Seeing the love and remembrance in his eyes, her control broke. The tears burst free and lowering her head to his chest, she wept in great heaving sobs. He comforted her as best he could, grieved that he had caused his Sister such pain. When her sobs subsided, she raised a tear streaked face and regarded him somberly. Then she grinned, and her face lit up with all the joy and love she had shown him since their Kin Bond so long ago. "I'm sorry, Lily," he began, but she was shaking her head. "It doesn't matter," she whispered, "After a thousand years, I finally have my brother back!" After several hours, everyone was finally satisfied with the explanations, and resting was now a top priority. Tomorrow, they would journey to the Pole to take on Morgoth. They absolutely HAD to be at full strength for that. Usagi walked to the window and looked out. It was one of the windows that looked out into a meditation glade, and she smiled when she saw two of her friends there. They didn't know she was watching them, since one was sleeping and the other was reading. She turned at a light step behind her. "Haeth, come here!" Usagi whispered urgently when she saw her Kin Sister approaching. Haeth came up to her curiously. "What is it, Usagi-chan?" she whispered back, "And why are we whispering?" Her Kin Sister giggled and pointed out the window. "Look!" she said softly. Haeth stepped up to the window and looked outside. A gentle smile formed on her lovely face when she saw what Usagi wanted her to see. Arilon lay curled up in the bright sunlight, sleeping in his Kin form. Leaning back against his side, was Ami, reading a book. Even in his sleep, Arilon had one wing half unfurled, like an awning, to keep the sunlight off his young companion. "Those two will Kin Bond someday," a knowing voice came from behind them. They both turned to see Maeribeth standing there with a smile on her face. "But why not now?" Usagi asked curiously, "Haeth and I Kin Bonded at once, and so did Endymion and Lily during the Silver Millennium." Maeribeth looked out the window, deep in her thoughts. "You and Haeth tend to be VERY impulsive," she pointed out, "And Endymion's Kin Bond with Liliannath was of necessity. They liked each other very much, and that was fortunate since, under normal circumstances, I'm sure they BOTH would have preferred to know each other a little better before the Bonding. Still, it worked out for the best." She turned to face the two Sisters. "Ami is VERY studious and quiet. She rarely does anything without planning," she explained, "Arilon is the same way. They WILL Kin Bond, but only when THEY feel that they're ready. Oh yes, and speaking of Bonds of necessity..." She looked speculatively at Usagi, and then at Haeth. "I'm afraid I need your help, Hatchlings," she began, to explain her reason for seeking them out, "You do know that Hotaru and Arilith Kin Bonded during their mission, don't you?" The two girls exchanged glances, and then shook their heads as one. Maeribeth sighed and began to explain. "Arilith was mortally wounded in a fight with a Dark Kindred. Saturn wanted to heal her, but time was short with a booby trap activated," she told them, "Arilith decided that the Kin Bond was necessary in THIS case so that she'd live long enough to disarm the trap." Usagi looked very concerned. "Arilith's okay now, isn't she?" Maeribeth nodded firmly. "Yes, she's fine. The blood loss will take time to heal, so we have bedded her in one of the guestrooms." Usagi and Haeth glanced at each other again. "So what's the problem?" Haeth queried curiously. Maeribeth sighed again and shook her head. "The problem is that Hotaru thinks she forced the bond on Arilith and can't face her!" she explained sadly, "Arilith thinks that Hotaru is staying away because she doesn't like her and doesn't want the Bond. Both of them are suffering because this Bond is a strong one! Hotaru doesn't know that you CAN'T force a Kin Bond." "Oh? What would happen if someone tried?" Usagi asked curiously. Maeribeth smiled. "You don't want to know. Trust me on that." Usagi stared at her Kin Aunt and finally nodded. There were some things it was better NOT to know. "So what would you like us to do?" she asked instead. "Well, I'd like young Haeth to talk with Hotaru," Maeribeth answered, relieved that her curious hatchling had dropped the OTHER subject, "Haeth, being a Dragonkin AND Kin Bonded, knows intimately how the Kin Bond works. She would be the best choice to explain things to Hotaru." "And me?" Usagi queried. Maeribeth grinned. "I want YOU to go to Arilith and talk to her, as Princess Serenity." Usagi glanced at her Aunt in puzzlement. "Huh? Princess Serenity?" she asked, "But, why?" "I'm afraid my stories of the Moon Kingdom have made you into a legend with our Hatchlings, Dear." Maeribeth answered to Usagi's dismay, "Not only will Arilith FINALLY get to meet you, but your words will have more weight. Arilith is most UNLIKELY to disbelieve or dispute her treasured Princess!" Haeth burst out laughing at THAT statement and Usagi looked at her in exasperation. "Huh! Go ahead! Laugh!" she said crossly, "But I don't like people looking at me as if I were some kind of..uh..Goddess!" Haeth grinned in amusement. "Well, I'm going to seek out Hotaru," she returned, "Have I your divine permission to retire?" She bowed down and looked up grinning, her eyes filled with mischief. "Oh, go on!" Usagi answered, smiling in spite of herself. When Haeth had gone, Maeribeth placed a comforting hand on Usagi's shoulder. "Don't worry about how our Young regard you, Hatchling," she advised, "As they get to know you, the awe will lessen and they will respect and love you, despite the mistakes you've made, and will likely make in the future." Usagi nodded and sighed in resignation. She raised a hand to her broach and with a flash of power, Princess Serenity stood there. Maeribeth smiled in approval and led her to Arilith's room. Arilith tossed and turned restlessly. Being weak from the bloodloss and tired, sleep should have come easily. she thought for the umpteenth time, She thought of the Kin Bond. There had been no time and no other way, but she remembered Saturn's slight hesitation. she thought, on the verge of tears again. The door creaked open and Maeribeth peeked in. Seeing that Arilith was awake, she smiled at her. "Hatchling, I have a visitor for you." She said softly, "It's not Hotaru I'm afraid, but it IS someone you'll want to meet AND she can help bring you and your Kin Sister together." "Do you think so?" Arilith asked listlessly. A young woman walked past Maeribeth and into the room. Her hair was done in the odango and long ponytail arrangement that Arilith instantly recognized. Her eyes widened in awe when she saw the Moon Crescent on the Lady's forehead. she thought in disbelief, She struggled to rise when Serenity moved forward, and placing gentle hands on Arilith's shoulders, pushed her back down gently. "No need to get up, Arilith," she admonished softly, "I'm not here as a princess, but as a friend." Arilith thought in awe, Serenity breathed a sigh of relief as the superstitious awe in Arilith's eyes faded to something a little more bearable. "Do you really think you can help?" she stuttered nervously. Serenity nodded firmly. "I do indeed. Hotaru DOESN'T dislike you. She thinks she FORCED that Kin Bond on you and as a result, can't face you." "But you CAN'T force a Kin Bond!" Arilith replied with a frown, "If she hadn't been a compatible personality, I would have died before Kin Bonding with her!" Serenity agreed. "That's very true, however, Hotaru doesn't know this. To tell you the truth, before Auntie Maeribeth explained it to me, I never knew it either! My Kin Sister has gone to tackle Hotaru, so we'll wait for Haeth to bring her to you." For the first time since they returned from their mission, Arilith smiled. Haeth looked all over the shrine for Hotaru and, finally, in the farthest glade, she found her quarry. She was sitting under a tree, staring at nothing. Others would have thought she was meditating, but Haeth, being a Soul Healer, knew better. The feeling of misery coming from the delicate dark haired Senshi, was so strong, that Haeth was surprised that no one else could sense it. Hotaru looked up in startlement as someone sat next to her. Her heart almost stopped at the sight of the dragon symbol, but a better look revealed the more familiar face of Usagi's Kin Sister. "Would you like to talk about it?" Haeth asked softly. "What's to talk about, Haeth-chan?" Hotaru said in a subdued tone, "In my need to heal, I forced a Kin Bonding on a Dragonkin. What could be worse than that?" Haeth leaned back against the tree, and plucking a long blade of grass, began to nibble on it thoughtfully. "Well, not much," she admitted, "But you DIDN'T force her. NOTHING can force a Kin Bond." Hotaru looked at her in disbelief. "Nothing? She was DYING, and she was the ONLY one who could reach that booby trap in time," she retorted, "AND was the only one who had a chance of disarming it! She HAD to be healed! I told her I wanted to heal her, forcing her to conclude that the only way I could do it while she went to the bomb and disarmed it, was by Kin Bonding!" Haeth reached over and patted Hotaru's white cheek comfortingly. "You do not know as much about Kin Bonds as you think," she said soothingly, "I think I must explain a few things to you. First; Kin Bonding is one of the three rare and powerful Life Bonds, and one of two in which we Dragonkin can be included. Thus, Kin Bonding borders on the sacred to us." She looked at Hotaru as she nodded in cautious agreement. "No one can force a Kin Bond. Not the Dragonkin, nor his or her possible rider," Haeth continued, "If Arilith had not wanted you, she would have forbade you to mount her. If you had tried anyway, she'd have killed you!" Hotaru turned with a gasp, to stare at Haeth in shock. "Killed me?!" she breathed, too shocked to speak aloud. Haeth nodded gravely. "Yes, killed you," she affirmed, "The Kin Bond is sacred to us, as I said before. An unwanted rider makes the Kin in question, go absolutely berserk, and do his or her best to slay the violator of the Bond. Arilith WANTED you because she allowed you to ride!" "You don't understand! There was no CHOICE!" Hotaru cried in frustration, "It was the only way to get to the trap in time!" Haeth cast a somber look at her. "It's YOU who doesn't understand, Hatchling," Haeth said quietly, "The trap would have made NO difference. A Kin CANNOT accept an unacceptable rider! It is part of who and WHAT we are." "Do you mean....?" Hotaru began, and stopped when Haeth nodded. "If you had been unacceptable to her, she may have died of her wounds before disarming the trap and you would all have died." Haeth turned a stern glance on her thoughtful charge. "Now, don't you think Arilith has been hurting enough?" she demanded, "She's been absolutely MISERABLE without you, thinking that you don't like her!" Hotaru looked at Haeth, aghast that Arilith could even THINK such a thing. Her look firmed, and she bolted from the glade, heading for someone whose misery she could now feel, since she was no longer fighting the Bond. Left back in the glade, Haeth smiled in satisfaction, and humming a tuneless melody to herself, she leaned back and closed her eyes. Serenity did her best to keep Arilith's spirits up, but the more time passed without any sign of Hotaru, the harder it became. Serenity was about to go out and DRAG Hotaru back, when the door burst open and the object of her thoughts rushed in. Hotaru took one look at the pale distraught Dragonkin in the bed, and burst into tears. She rushed to the bed, dropped to her knees beside it and seized her Kin Sister's hand. "OhGoddessI'msosorryIthoughtIforcedyou thatyoudidntwantmethatyou...." she babbled tearfully. Arilith put a gentle hand over her mouth to stop the rushing torrent of words. Her eyes, once filled with despair, and now with joy, met Hotaru's tear filled ones. "It matters not," she whispered happily, "You are here now, Kin Sister. THAT is what matters." Serenity smiled and carefully let herself out of the room, closing the door silently behind her. She walked a short distance down the hall, when she became aware of voices from the next room. "Are you SURE the Princess knew that we'd Bond?" one voice, that she recognized as Noir, asked curiously. "She knew, Noir," Chibi-Usa's voice answered, "She's Bonded to Haeth and knows all about it. I'm POSITIVE that she knew." Serenity entered the room to see them both talking earnestly. "You're right, Child," she spoke up, "I DID know." She smiled as they both whirled around to face her. When Chibi-Usa's eyes filled with tears, she realized that she had forgotten to change back to her normal form. "Mama?" Chibi-Usa cried softly, her lower lip trembling. One look at her future daughter, and Serenity held out both arms. Chibi-Usa ran into that welcome embrace, and as Serenity lifted her up, she cried against her mother's shoulder. she thought as she rocked her future child, "Princess?" Noir queried, "Why did you allow her to accept my offer if you KNEW that we would Kin Bond?" Chibi-Usa stopped weeping. This was an answer she WANTED to hear. "My child has MANY protectors in the future, but she has NO siblings," Serenity answered sadly, "I don't know why, but it IS so. NOW, she has a Sister AND another protector." "Yessss, that's true enough," Noir agreed, "But why ME? Why not one of the Kin Guard?" Serenity regarded the dark skinned silver haired girl with compassion. "Noir," she said gently, "You ARE one of the Kin Guard. As to why YOU, you offered her a ride. Had you NOT been possible Kin Bonded Sisters, the idea would never even have occurred to you. I merely seized the chance you presented to me. In fact, were you to check your lightning powers, I'm sure you'd find that your black lightning is gone forever!" Noir looked startled, as if THAT idea had never occurred to her. She spread her hands apart, and lightning arced between them. Her eyes widened incredulously. The lightning was as white as snow. She stood there, thinking deeply, while Serenity and Chibi-Usa watched her anxiously. She looked up at Serenity and grinned. Holding out her arms, she took the weary child from Serenity. "Time for bed, Little Sister," she ordered firmly. "WHAT?!" Chibi-Usa cried, "It's not even dark yet!" Serenity smiled as they left the room, Chibi-Usa's arguments falling on deaf ears as Noir moved to put her young charge to bed. When Serenity left the room, she heard a light step to her left. Turning, she saw Mamoru standing there. "Hmmmm. I don't think we quite match," he commented. There was a flash and Prince Endymion stood there. "There! That's MUCH better!" He raised a hand and a crystal rose appeared. He handed it to Serenity. "A rose, beautiful beyond compare, for a princess who is, by FAR, more fair!" Serenity blushed furiously as she accepted the rose. Her deep blue eyes met his, the love in them so great, that Endymion thought his heart would burst with joy. He bent his arm, and she placed her hand on it as they moved along the hall. "Shall we watch the sunset?" he asked softly. Her smile was all the answer he needed. she thought as they walked outside and into the light from the setting sun. He placed an arm around her slender waist and she leaned against him as they watched the sun dip below the cityscape. "Do you think we can beat him?" Serenity asked softly, a slight tremor in her voice. Endymion took his Princess into his arms and embraced her comfortingly. "I believe we can, and so must you," he answered soothingly, "We have the Senshi, the Guardians, AND the Kin Bonded Dragonkin as well as others. How can we possibly lose?" She smiled at him and her eyes lit up mischievously. "Here we have a romantic sunset and we're talking about Morgoth!" She pulled his head down. "I have another thing to talk about that NEEDS no words," she whispered as her lips met his. Two people watched from the shadows as the two young lovers embraced. One made to move forward, but the second grabbed his arm. "Don't you DARE, Kenji!" Ikuko whispered urgently, "They have a frightening thing to look forward to tomorrow! They NEED this!" "She's my little girl!" Kenji whispered back, not at all pleased, "I trust that young man, but she's too YOUNG for this!" Ikuko looked at him knowingly. "Hardly," she answered dryly, "Our `little' girl is fifteen and will soon be sixteen. She's growing up, Kenji. Now, let's leave those two lovebirds alone and go to bed. I want to be there when they leave." Kenji looked back at the two young people and saw them whispering to each other. Thinking about what they faced the next day, his shoulders slumped. "You're right," he admitted softly, "It seems petty to deny them THIS, considering what they still have to face." He took his wife's hand and led her back inside. "I doubt I'll sleep though!" Ikuko smiled ruefully. "I won't either, but we won't let THEM know how much this worries us, will we?" Kenji agreed with a smile and they entered the guest room given to them, closing the door behind them End of Chapter 15 NEXT: Chapter 16: Apocalypse North The North Pole, Morgoth's Plan, Battle, The VOID Crystal! BE THERE!!