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

                Doug Helm, for his suggestions to improve the tension
                and make the chapter stronger thereby. :)

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 Sixteen: Apocalypse North

Sailor Moon hurried through the halls of the Hikawa Shrine on the way to
the glade they were using to teleport from. It was time to kick Morgoth
to oblivion, if they could.

Everyone had said their good-byes to their families. Although the Senshi
preferred to leave without fanfare, the good-byes had been necessary,
for both them and their families. Although their kin had chosen not to
watch them leave, she was sure they would be glued to the windows
anyway.

As she entered the glade, she saw that everyone else was already there.
Sailor Pluto, enigmatic as always, stood waiting patiently. Sailor
Neptune and Sailor Uranus stood to one side, deep in discussion. Sailor
Saturn stood with one hand on her Kin Sister's crest. Arilith had
assumed her Kin form, as had all the Dragonkin. They were more powerful
in their natural forms, and against the Death Dragon, they needed every
advantage they could get. Sailor Mars stood, tapping her foot
impatiently as she waited. Sailor Mercury leaned against Arilon's side
as she waited. To everyone's surprise, they had taken their Kin Bonding
flight last night.

Sailor Jupiter was talking animatedly to Avalon as they both waited.
Sailor Venus and Jadeite simply enjoyed each other's company. Noir had
not yet assumed her natural form. Both Maeribeth and Sailor Chibi-Moon
were watching as she fitted a pair of peculiar devices over her hands.
The five Guardians waited patiently. They had said their good-byes also,
and now were ready for action.

Tuxedo Kamen and Haeth smiled as Sailor Moon entered the glade. "Well,
FINALLY!" Mars snorted, "I was beginning to wonder if you'd EVER show
up!" Sailor Moon stifled a grin. Some things never changed, thank
goodness.  "What are those?" she asked as she walked up to Noir and
pointed at the strange things on her hands. Each device had four long
razor sharp blades and fit snugly over the hands. "They're called
`battle claws', Hatchling," Maeribeth answered, "Unlike the rest of the
Kin, Noir has never been in human form before and knows nothing about
using human weapons. I had Avalon pick up a set of `Claws' from the Kin
Caverns for her. Being much like her natural claws, their use is
instinctive. If she ever has to fight in her human form, she will now be
armed and able."

"Well, are we all ready?" Mars said impatiently. At Sailor Moon's nod,
Lynn moved forward as her Soul Gem appeared above her. "Everyone gather
round," she ordered, "It's time to go!" Haeth and Noir changed to their
Kin forms and joined everyone else around Lynn. With six Dragonkin, it
got a little crowded, but everyone managed. When everyone was ready,
Lynn raised her hands and sent a mental command to her Soul Gem. It
pulsed, each pulse brighter than the last, until the sixth pulse, which
was so bright, that those watching from the windows were temporarily
blinded.  When they regained their sight, the glade was empty. Tears
came from more than one set of eyes as they turned away to pray for the
safely of their children.


Sailor Moon looked over the snowdrift, studying the cave entrance
suspiciously. "No guards," she muttered to herself, "Why are there no
guards?" Greywolf straightened from where he had been studying the area.
"I don't like this," he said with quiet conviction, "Granted that we
destroyed a great deal of the forces he brought from the Star Kingdoms,
but he WOULD normally have guards! Even if just a pair of Killanki!" He
turned to regard the others somberly. "This smells like a trap," he
continued, "I think the Dark One has something planned."

"Does that make any difference?" Mars asked impatiently, "We have to
take him out, trap or no trap!" Galen nodded firmly. "You're quite
right, but we CAN be extra careful." He turned to regard Sailor Moon.
"With your permission, My Princess?" he asked. Sailor Moon smiled
slightly, despite her growing unease. "You and Greywolf are in command,
Galen-san," she answered softly. He grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

"Noir, you and Antari check to make sure the coast is clear," he
ordered, "Since you look like their forces, it's unlikely that you'll be
challenged if there ARE guards inside." They watched anxiously as the
Dark Elf and Dark Kindred moved through the snow, towards the cave
entrance.

Tari peered cautiously into the cavern. Torches lit the passage, and as
far as she could see; there was no one about. She and Noir exchanged
puzzled glances. "Cover me," Tari muttered. She entered the cave as Noir
assumed a combat posture, ready to fry anything that attacked Tari.

Everyone tensed as Tari entered the cave. After a long timeless wait,
during which everyone imagined all sorts of disasters happening, Tari
emerged and waved `all clear'.

"I went as far as the dungeon levels and saw no one," Tari concluded her
report, "It's as if the place is deserted!" Jadeite looked extremely
worried. "I know the approximate numbers that he had here," he said,
"And even with the forces we eliminated, he should STILL have enough
here to cause us problems! So, where are they?" Sailor Mercury consulted
her computer and looked up in puzzlement. "I can't get any clear
readings here," she said anxiously, "It's like my scans are being
jammed!"

After a moment of silence, Sailor Uranus broke it. "Look, we suspected a
trap, and now it's likely it IS a trap," she said impatiently, "Since we
know it, WE have the advantage now, so let's go up there and stomp him!"
Galen laughed delightedly. "As blunt as ever, Uranus," he grinned, "but
you're right. Trap or not, we MUST go on. I want everyone who can, to
extend your senses to their farthest range. Let's not get taken by
surprise." At everyone's agreement, they entered the caverns.

As soon as she entered the cavern with the others, Mars felt an alien
pressure in her mind. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her
midriff. "Mars!" Sailor Moon cried as she moved to her friend, "What's
wrong?!" She trembled again, and looked up at Sailor Moon, her violet
eyes haunted. "I sense a terrible brooding evil! It completely permeates
this place," she answered in a whisper as she looked around uneasily,
"Not even the Dark Kingdom felt like this!"

Greywolf looked thoughtful. "Is it Morgoth?" he queried anxiously. Mars
shook her head in confusion. "It is, and it isn't!" she said in
frustration, "I've felt Morgoth, and I can sense elements of HIS evil in
this feeling, but most of it is so alien, that I can't figure out
anything other than the fact that it's the greatest evil I have ever
felt!" She shivered again.


When they reached the lowest of the dungeon levels, they stopped to
confer. "Kreigh, you and Arilith guard the stairs down the hall to make
sure we're not interrupted," Galen commanded. They nodded and moved down
the long hall, past closed dungeon cells, to take position at the bottom
of the next set of stairs. As Greywolf and Galen plundered Jadeite's
memory of the layout of the base, Mars curiously approached one of the
cells. At her touch, the door creaked open. Her nose wrinkled at the odd
smell coming from within. Peering into the shadows, she thought she saw
something behind the door. <What's that?> she thought as she raised her
hands. Readying her powers, she pushed the door open further, and
entered the cell.

Everyone jumped as a hoarse cry echoed through the hall. Sailor Mars
stumbled from the cell, white as a sheet. With her hand over her mouth,
she ran down the stairs they had just climbed. After a moment, they
heard the sound of retching as Mars emptied the contents of her stomach.
"Wha..." Sailor Moon got up and hurried to the cell as Maeribeth took
off the way Mars had gone. Greywolf seized Sailor Moon's wrist in a firm
grip. "Let me look, Highness," he asked grimly.  At her shaky nod, he
released her and entered the cell.

When he came out, his face was pale and his lips compressed grimly, but
his gray eyes were ablaze with fury. "Civilians," he ground out, "At
least a dozen in this cell alone! Guardians! Check the other cells.
Sailor Senshi, remain here. This is NOT something I want you to see!"

"But...." Sailor Jupiter began. "Trust me!" Greywolf said softly, "They
were drained completely and that's NOT a sight for young girls, however
great warriors you may be." She stared at his grim face and nodded. The
Guardians were joined by the Dragonkin as they checked cell after cell;
all were the same. Filled with bodies who had been drained of all their
life energy.

"That makes about one hundred forty by my count," Greywolf said quietly
after Arilon had shakily reported his findings. Sailor Moon looked
stricken. "But HOW?!" she cried in anguish, "HOW had he killed so MANY?!
We always stopped the Dark Kingdom when they tried that because we
always noticed something was wrong!"

"Yeah, but who notices the homeless?" a hoarse voice interrupted. They
turned to see a pale shaky Sailor Mars supported by Maeribeth's arm
around her. Even now, they could see she was regaining her composure,
but Sailor Moon noticed a slow burning rage in her violet eyes. She
understood that. The same rage possessed them all. "Homeless?" she
questioned sharply. Mars nodded firmly. "While some of them had good
clothes, most wore patched clothes or outright rags," she explained, "No
one notices the homeless, so who's gonna care if a few hundred or so,
vanish." Sailor Moon was about to refute that, when Mars interrupted, "I
know WE care, but we CAN'T be everywhere! There are HUNDREDS of cities,
each with HUNDREDS of homeless. If the Dark Kingdom had done it THIS
way, they would have been able to release Metallia before we even knew
what was going on!" They all exchanged determined glances. Morgoth would
pay DEARLY.


Kaylen approached the waiting group with a puzzled expression on his
grim face. They were on the top dungeon level. Each level's cells were
filled with the dead. Greywolf had been careful to see that the Senshi
were shielded from the awful sights within. "Tari, I think you should
see this," he requested with obvious reluctance, "Something about those
who died in the last few cells puzzles me." Tari got up and dusted off
her long skirt.  "You want me to take a look?" Kaylen looked at her
unhappily. "I DON'T want you to see it, but you may have answers that I
don't."

Everyone followed Kaylen to that last few cells and waited while he
entered with Tari. After a moment, they came out to check the next, and
the next.  Even with her dark skin, they could see that she paled more
after every cell.  Finally, when they exited the last, Kaylen had to
help her since she was blinded by tears. She turned and gently closed
the cell door. Leaning her forehead against the door, she wept.

Sailor Moon rushed forward to place an arm around the sobbing Dark Elf's
shoulders. "Tari, what's wrong?" she grimaced, "Other than the obvious I
mean." Tari looked up, her amber eyes filled with grief. "Behind those
doors, lies the price of failure," she whispered, "Dark Kindred,
Killanki, Kashalkanite Elves. Dead, drained...and worse." Sailor Moon
looked faint. "Worse?" she repeated softly. Tari nodded. "He was not
satisfied to just drain them. He did other.....things...to them BEFORE
he killed them. My little sister lies beyond this door." She heaved a
mighty sob. "And her death was not an easy one!" She swallowed her sobs
and regained control of herself. "By the Steps of the Nine!" she cried,
a fell look in her amber eyes, "The demon who did these foul deeds shall
die before this day's sun finds its bed! This I do swear!"

Lynn stared at Tari's determined expression and turned to her Lifemate.
"Despite our need to beat Morgoth," she said worriedly, "There is an
element, based on our findings so far, that I think you're all missing."
She swept her worried gaze over them all. "In the cells below, and on
this level, are almost 700 people that were drained of all their life
energy. What has Morgoth done with all that energy?"

<Uh oh.> Everyone exchanged confused looks. "Maybe he used it in his
battles against us," Venus ventured. Lynn shook her silvery head. "All
those people died within the last twenty-four hours. Morgoth never used
that energy, not against US anyway." She turned to Mars. "Rei, do you
STILL sense that alien evil?" Mars nodded. "Oh yes," she replied, still
pale, "And it's even STRONGER here than it was down below!" Lynn looked
as if Mars had just confirmed her worst fears. "It looks as if the Dark
One plans something most vile, and needed all that life energy to do it.
We'd better hurry, if we want to disrupt his plans!"

Soft malevolent laughter echoed down the corridor. Before anyone could
so much as blink, the hall was plunged into darkness as the torches
dimmed and went out. "Sailor Moon! Where are you?!" "I'm over here,
Mars!" "Nobody move! I'll get a light!" Yet, before Lynn could cast her
spell, the torches flared up, and the hall was lit once more.

"What IS going ON here?" Sailor Jupiter asked as she looked around
warily.  Everyone looked around cautiously, then, someone noticed. "Kin
Sister! Where is my little Sister?!" Noir cried as she looked around
frantically. "Chibi-Moon! Where are you?" Sailor Moon called worriedly.
Noir snarled and shimmered into her human form. "He's GOT her!" she
growled, her voice becoming more guttural and hard to understand. With a
shriek of fury, she dashed down the hall to the stairs with claws at the
ready, then dashed up the stairs and out of sight before anyone could
stop her.

"Noir, WAIT?!" Lynn yelled after her, "We must stick together!" The
Inner Senshi turned and grabbed Sailor Moon, as she was about to dash
after Noir.  "Let me GO!" she cried, struggling against the hands that
held her. "Kin Sister! Calm down!" Haeth commanded gently, "We need to
get to Morgoth's Throne Room. When we find HIM, we'll find Chibi-Moon as
well!" She stopped her struggles as she reluctantly accepted her Kin
Sister's advice. A tear trickled down her cheek as Tuxedo Kamen moved
forward to take her in his comforting arms.

"It'll be alright, you'll see," he whispered to her. After a short time,
she nodded and pushed away. She smiled at him gratefully and turned to
the others.  "Let's go," she said softly, "I'm gonna trash him for
this!" The others shivered at the look in her eyes, but followed as she
walked to the stairs and began to ascend.


"Here we are!" Sailor Moon said softly as she looked around warily,
"Beryl's Throne Room." Mars glanced around uneasily before leaning
towards Sailor Moon. "That alien evil!" she whispered hoarsely, "It's
here! And stronger than ANYTHING I've ever sensed before!" Mocking
laughter filled the Throne Room.  "Very GOOD, Sailor Mars!" a hissing
voice laughed, "Very VERY good! Mercury's computer I could block, but
not your sense of, ah, presence shall we say?" A form materialized
before the throne and Sailor Moon shuddered. An animated Dragon skeleton
was bad enough, but one animated by the malevolence that was Morgoth,
was horrible beyond description.

"Welcome to my abode!" he hissed sarcastically, "I'd provide the
refreshments the living seem to need, but I doubt you'll be in that
state for much longer!" He dropped his jawbone in a grotesque parody of
a Dragonkin's grin. He turned to Sailor Moon. "Greetings, Princess!" he
hissed, "I believe that you were looking for THIS!" He extended one
foreclaw. Grasped firmly within it was a terrified Chibi-Moon. "Mama!"
she wailed as she struggled frantically to free herself. Sailor Moon
gasped in horror.

Noir watched the scene unfolding below from a balcony high up on one
wall. When Morgoth extended his foreclaw with the captive little
Princess, she acted. Lovely lips twisted in a vicious snarl, she leaped
from the balcony, her battle claws extended. As she passed Morgoth, she
slashed viciously slicing deep into Morgoth's forearm bone. Even HE felt
that. He shrieked in mingled pain and fury, as his claw opened, and
Chibi-Moon fell from his grip. Noir spun into a somersault and struck
the ground, feet first. Changing back into her Kin form as she struck.
Bending her hind legs, she leapt back into the air, her foreclaws
outstretched. Chibi-Moon fell into them, and clutching her precious
burden to her chest, she fled towards the Senshi. As she landed, Morgoth
shrieked again, "DIE!" Powerful dark energy bolts exploded from his
foreclaws. Everyone looked on in shock, as the bolts impacted on a
shield long before reaching their intended targets.

An elegant form flickered into existence between Morgoth and the objects
of his rage. He recognized her at once. "General Lieriana!" he roared,
"You go TOO far!" As she settled to the ground, she turned amber eyes
filled with hatred, on her erstwhile `master'. "No, Lord," she said
softly, injecting whole volumes of insult into the way she slurred his
title, "YOU have gone too far, or did you actually think I wouldn't
notice the death of my..." She spared a glance for Tari. "...OUR baby
sister. Tari and I disagreed on MANY things, but keeping young Sharai
safe, was not one of them."

"And so you will betray me?" Morgoth said softly, "I have ways of
dealing with THAT, at least!" He extended a foreclaw and clenched it
tightly. Lieriana gave a choked gasp and fell to her knees. "N...no!"
she choked out, "I will NOT die until I've seen you off to HELL!"

"Sailor Moon! Quick! Accept her into your service!" Lynn whispered to
her friend. Sailor Moon turned a confused look on Lynn. "But why...."
she began. "No time! I'll explain later!" Sailor Moon spared a quick
glance at her daughter. Noir was cuddling her and calming her terror
with gentle whispers. She had seen many expressions on Noir's face, but
never the gentle and loving expression she wore now. Her child was in
good hands. She turned back to Lynn. She nodded in agreement at her
friend's idea and rushing to the faltering General, she knelt down.

"There's nothing you can do, Moon Child!" Morgoth gloated as he
continued to rip out Lieriana's lifeforce, "She's MINE!" Sailor Moon
ignored him as she put her lips to Lieriana's ear. "Will you enter MY
service?" she whispered urgently, "Be MY general? Protect My Kingdom, my
kith and kin from all harm?" Lieriana turned pain filled eyes on Sailor
Moon.  She struggled to answer and finally managed a faint "yes". Sailor
Moon smiled despite her anxiety and laid her hand on Lieriana's bowed
head. "Then I accept your oath!" she whispered. Magic sparkles traveled
from her hand moving over Lieriana's body before disappearing. With
their disappearance, the pain also vanished. She gasped at the relief
from the terrible ripping pain as Sailor Moon helped her to her feet.

Morgoth looked at them in shock. <How can this BE?!> he wondered as rage
began to possess him. Then, he noticed Tari and Noir. "Ah! Yes!" he
hissed venomously, "Yet MORE traitors! If I can't take ONE, then I'll
take TWO instead!" Before anyone could react, he reached his claws
towards his two erstwhile servants and clenched them. When nothing
happened, he hissed in frustration. "BLOCKED! AGAIN!" he roared in fury,
"Who DARES block me from punishing MY creatures?!"

Lynn stepped forward. "You cannot punish them, Dark One!" she mocked,
"They are no LONGER your creatures! Tari's service has been accepted by
the Queen of Tarandar, Noir is in service to the Princess of the Moon,
and just now, Lieriana has ALSO been accepted into HER service! Howl
your head off until it's empty, but you'll never be able to do to them
what you did to the others!"

"Tsk, tsk," Morgoth returned, "You think THAT will save you? I'll just
have to destroy you ALL in the same way!" His jawbone dropped as he
laughed. "Your lifeforces will make a paltry meal, being such weak
creatures, but it's better than nothing, I suppose." He laughed again.

Uranus exploded. "Eat THIS you dung dog's whelp!" she cried in rage,
"This is for the people you killed! WORLD ERUPTION!!" Her attack blasted
into the ground. Morgoth stretched out a bony talon and as the energy
sphere exited the ground beneath him, he seized it and threw it back at
her.  "Here, my dear," he hissed in amusement, "I think you dropped
this!" Uranus dove as her own attack flew above her and exploded against
the wall.  She looked at Morgoth in disbelief. <The Inner Senshi FOUGHT
him?!> Then she noticed that everyone, Inner Senshi included, were
looking at Morgoth as if he had grown two heads. <Oh boy!> she groaned,
<If he didn't have this ability the last time they faced him, how are we
gonna BEAT him?!>

"NOW!! All at once! He can't block us all!" Greywolf cried, and as one,
everyone attacked.
"MOLECULAR DISRUPTION!!"
"WORLD ERUPTION!!"
"DEEP FREEZE!!"
"TEMPORAL VORTEX!!"
"JUPITER THUNDER JAVELIN IMPALE!!"
"MARS FIRESTORM ERUPT!!"
"MOON CRESCENT SCYTHES SLASH!!"
"PINK SUGAR BOOMERANG STRIKE!!"
"VENUS SUNSHINE KISS!!"
"MERCURY ICE SHARD STORM!!"
Following on the attacks of the Senshi came the individual attacks of
the Guardians and the white lightning and bright fire of the Dragonkin.

Moving so fast, that he blurred, Morgoth seized each Senshi attack and
threw them back at their owners. Raising mirror shielded claws, he
reflected the attacks and lightning of both Guardians and Dragonkin.
When the smoke cleared, Senshi and Guardians were on the ground after
dodging their own attacks. The Dragonkin, however, were not as lucky.
Being slower on the ground, all had been struck by their reflected
lightning and flame, and all were wounded in varying degrees. Morgoth
remained standing, the lambent flame of his eyes bright with malevolent
glee. He stared at his downed enemies, and laughed uproariously.

"He's like a god!" Sailor Moon whispered as she got painfully to her
knees. Haeth hissed in pain as she tried to fold her left wing, and it
refused to bend. "I don't know how we'll beat him THIS time, Kin
Sister!" she said in a pain filled voice, "I really don't." Lynn was
about to speak when something in the shadows near the throne, caught her
eye. <NO!> she closed her eyes desperately, hoping that when she opened
them, the thing she saw would be gone, <It CAN'T be! Oh Goddess, oh
Goddess, DON'T let it be! It's a MYTH! A FABLE!> She opened her eyes,
but the thing was still there, floating in the shadows. <Oh Goddess!>
she cried silently, <A Void Crystal! Oh Goddess, what can we DO?!> Now
she knew how Morgoth planned to destroy this reality, and also why he
needed all that life energy. <We were so smart. We planned for
everything, except the appearance of a legendary horror!>

"This game bores me," Morgoth stated when his laughter finally stopped,
"You will be the finishing touch on my plan. Farewell, my enemies!" He
waved a bony claw. "What's happening?!" Venus cried weakly as she fell
to the ground. All around her, the others collapsed as if too weak to
stand.  Only Lynn saw the Void Crystal glowing malevolently in the
shadows. She struggled to hold her head up as weakness assailed her.
"You PLANNED on letting us reach you all along, didn't you?" Lynn
gasped, the true horror of Morgoth's plan finally becoming clear.
Morgoth turned to look back at them. "Of course!" he hissed
triumphantly, "When you want to get rid of an insect, you DON'T chase it
away! You let it come closer, and closer, THEN YOU SWAT IT!" He laughed,
and seeing his enemies were too weak to attack, he turned away to busy
himself with another part of his plan.

"Why am I so WEAK?!" Mars cried in frustration as she tried to rise, and
couldn't, "Is it a Nullifier?!" Lynn turned weakly to Mars as the others
collapsed, one by one. "No, Mars," she answered despairingly, "It's a
Void Crystal and THAT is MUCH worse!"

"Yesssss," Morgoth agreed as he turned back to gloat, "MUCH worse. A
Nullifier IS a useful device, yet, it is but a TOY compared to the Void
Crystal! First it will drain you, then this planet!" His jaw dropped in
glee at the horror on their faces. "Yesss! And it won't stop there, oh
no!" he continued, "It'll suck dry this solar system, then the galaxy!
It won't stop until this entire reality is sucked DRY! And ALL that
marvelous power will be at MY command! No one will be able to stand
against ME! I WILL REIGN SUPREME!!" He turned back to the crystal,
laughing in triumph.

Sailor Moon trembled with weakness, her very lifeforce flowing from her.
"Moon Crescent Scythes..." she whispered. The glowing blades appeared in
her hands, but the glow was weak and fading, even as she watched. Lynn
watched, and as Sailor Moon summoned the weakly glowing blades, hope
blossomed within her. She looked around wearily. Seeing Arilith next to
her, she reached out a trembling hand and touched her scaled shoulder.

<<What?>> Arilith turned her head weakly and regarded the Elven
Princess.  "Arilith!" Lynn whispered, "Tell everyone to send every iota
of power they can spare, to the Moon Princess! Hurry! Our time lessens
with every moment!" Arilith sent out the call, and slowly, so slowly
that Lynn felt like screaming, the others answered. Hands reaching out
to Sailor Moon streamed power.

Sailor Moon looked sadly at the blades in her hands. They were almost
faded to nothing now. <All for nothing,> she thought. She gasped when
the blades flickered and began to glow brighter and brighter.
<<Princess!>> She turned and saw both Arilith and Lynn watching her
intently. <<When the blades are at their brightest, join them and hurl
them....>> "At Morgoth?" she mouthed, to weak to speak. <<NO! Look next
to the throne! The Void Crystal rests there! If you don't destroy it,
this reality will die shortly after WE will! Ignore the Dark One!>>

She looked, and sure enough, there it was. Its malevolent power obvious,
even to her. She wanted to change to Princess Serenity, but knew there
was no time. "Unite," she mouthed silently as she pressed the blades
together. The power felt different somehow. All the powers were in the
Moon Scythe now. Lightning, fire, water, everything. When the blade was
too bright to look at, she released it to fly toward the throne, and the
dark gem beside it.

When Morgoth noticed a flash of incandescent light behind him, he turned
to see the Moon Scythe streak towards the Void Crystal. "NOOOO!!" He
cried, as he lunged forward to intercept the threat to his plans. He was
too late. The Scythe slammed into the crystal with all the fury of an
avenging angel. The crystal cracked, dark electricity arcing around it
as it pulsed unevenly. Everyone felt their life energy return as the
crystal's storage ability was destroyed. Climbing to their feet, they
all turned to the Death Dragon, who was watching his plans fall to ashes
in disbelief. None of them noticed the black gate opening behind
Morgoth.

**YOU HAVE FAILED ME FOR THE FINAL TIME, INCOMPETENT ONE!** Morgoth
turned to stare in open jawed horror at the black gate. At the razor
sound of that voice, everyone else collapsed, holding their ears in
pain. "It feels like my SOUL is being shredded!" Sailor Moon cried.  "An
apt description!" Lynn gasped as she tried to block that searing voice.

**RETURN TO ME, BELOVED!** the voice continued, **I LONG TO FEEL YOU IN
MY EMBRACE, TO FEEL YOUR PAIN AS I FEAST ON YOUR SOUL AGAIN, AND
AGAIN!** Morgoth shrieked in horror and despair as he was drawn through
the gate, despite his best efforts to escape. "NOOOOOooooooo.....!" His
last cry was swallowed by the Gate. After his disappearance, the Gate
began to close.

**ENJOY YOUR TRIUMPH WHILE YOU CAN, INSECTS! THE TIME WILL COME WHEN -I-
WILL TRIUMPH! FAREWELL** At that, the Gate vanished. "Who WAS that?!"
Mars gasped painfully, "I've NEVER felt such evil!" Lynn climbed
painfully to her feet. "That was Kashalka, Goddess of Death," she
groaned at her aches, "Pray you never meet her in person. No mortal can
stand against her."

"But why...." Lynn noticed something and gasped, "Quick! EVERYONE GATHER
ROUND! WE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!!" As the Void Crystal flashed and
sparked, no one needed to be told twice. "Have you the strength?" Sailor
Moon began. "I MUST!" Lynn interrupted. Greywolf's arms went around his
wife from behind, and she smiled as she felt his strength flow into her.
"Let's GO!" Her Soul Gem flashed, and they were gone. The Void Crystal
imploded silently. Seismographs around the world recorded a minor tremor
in the high arctic. A few more icebergs were seen to pester shipping,
and LANSAT photos showed a large depression in a mountainside. All that
remained of the old Dark Kingdom base, and the terrible events there.

End of Chapter 16

NEXT: Epilogue: Guardians of the Star

Tying up the loose ends, Haeth's wedding, good-byes. BE THERE!!