WCD_Ch1
With the Coming of the Dawn



It was beautiful outside. The sun was shining and birds were singing. The wind was blowing softly, with white clouds lazily making their way across the heavens. Looking to the clock, Aurora sighed. Another ten minutes…just ten more minutes, she kept telling herself.

"Class. CLASS!" Her Pre-Calculus teacher yelled. "It may be Friday afternoon, but we still have vast amounts of work to cover, and time is quickly becoming scarce. We DO NOT have time to waste chitchatting, or starring off into space! Gary! Ricky!" Both boys settled themselves, as did the rest of the class, listening intently – or at least pretending to – to what their teacher had to say. 'Now, who can answer the question on the board and explain it to the class?" She looked around expectantly. No one raised their hand. Rolling her eyes, Aurora succumbed to her instincts and raised her hand to do the honors.

"Yes, Ms. Barrett." Trying to ignore the feeling of all eyes on her, Aurora began. "To acquire the equation of a parabola by way of its graph, you first must decide whether you want it to be a Sine or Cosine graph. Then look for a reflection across the x-axis. In this case, it would be easier to determine the equation using Sine. And starting at the origin isn't possible because the graph does not pass through that point exactly, proving the existence of a horizontal translation of 60º. There is a Rx, with a vertical translation of –1 and a vertical stretch of ½ . Since the period of the graph is 180º, it tells us that there is a horizontal stretch of ½ as well. With all of this information, we know that the equation must be –2(y+1) = sin2(x+60º) ."

Finishing her explanation, Aurora could immediately feel the hateful glares of her peers boring into her, making her skin crawl. She had had, however, no intention of just sitting there in class for the last ten minutes doing nothing expect listening to their teacher tear them down for not working and trying hard enough. She knew the answer, and so she gave it. "Thank you Ms. Barrett. It is a comfort to me that at least one of my students takes the time to study and do their homework." Aurora nodded her head ever so slightly in acceptance of the compliment, knowing only that it caused her to be hated even.

"Now class, you have the sheets I passed out at the beginning of class. There are two sides, I want you to do one. Doesn't matter which, we will go over both on Monday, and the questions you do not have finished, you can take notes on. I will be checking homework, however, so I do suggest you have it done." With that the bell rang, and gathering her things, Aurora walked quietly and quickly out of the room.

"Aaahh…." A soft sign escaped her lips as Aurora stepped out into the sun. The wind softly caressed her skin, ruffling her pale blonde hair. The sun's warmth washed over her, cleansing her of the worries and stresses of the day. For a moment she stood there in silence, drawing strength from the beauty around her - until she heard voices. Soft, whispering voices. Opening her eyes, Aurora looked to her left and saw there standing a group of girls she went to school with; amongst them stood the new girl, who'd been enrolled in their school just this morning. She was not as old as the rest but had already found her place it seemed. Finally noticing her watching them, the girls quieted.

Their cold, hard eyes fell upon her, meticulously picking out every flaw, every imperfection they could find to later hold against her. None of them even had the human decency enough to hide the fact that they were dissecting her, as a scientist would dissect an experiment gone wrong. But she knew that's all she was to them. Aurora had to give them credit though; they were trying, though failing miserably, to hide the fact that it had been she they'd been talking about, moments before, when they'd noticed her standing not ten feet away.

Aurora dropped her carefully constructed mask back into place, successfully hiding from their view how their cold hard glares tore at her inside. To those who sought only to crucify her, Aurora stood defiantly, her eyes belying the pain within. She seemed to them, arrogant, as if she thought herself to be so much better than they. But this was not the case; nor had it ever been. Aurora could only marvel to herself how, at a mere look, that small clustering of girls could tear her down so completely inside, leaving her to feel so completely without worth. Their degrading stares, sneering faces, and mocking air, left Aurora suddenly feeling as if everything about her was wrong. She felt awkward, and out of place. Deciding to leave before she could no longer hide her tears from them, Aurora walked away – the girls' cold, malicious glares never leaving her once.

"My God, who the hell does she think she is?!" an overly skinny, blonde haired girl exclaimed, when she was sure Aurora could no long hear. A much taller, and heavier girl snorted in reply, "She only thinks she's all that because she has the teachers in the palm of her hand. But what difference does she make, Katie? Just forget about her." Katie glared off in the direction Aurora had taken, her jealousy of the girl evident on her face. "What' so wrong with her? She seemed nice enough this morning, when she introduced herself to me in class," the younger girl, new to the school, asked. "Beth, Aurora Barrett is nothing more than the teacher's pet. She think she knows it all, and because she is top in all of her classes, she has the idea that everyone else is beneath her," Krista explained, sneering.

Beth looked to the heavier, taller girl in disbelief, "But she's so beautiful." Katie couldn't help the bitter laughter that escaped her. "Beautiful my ass! Have you even bothered to notice how incredibly blonde her hair is?! No one has hair that pale blonde." "Yeah," Krista joined in, "You just know she bleaches it!" Katie laughed out loud at that, "Yeah, and buys cheap colored contacts to make her eyes that gods-awful silver. I mean, she must think us all to be complete morons. What normal person has silver eyes?!" "And who said she was normal?!" Krista demanded incredulously, before bursting out laughing at Aurora's expense, her laughter joined in by several other of her friends standing round.

"And as rich as her family is, you'd think she'd be able to afford getting someone good to do her hair! I mean, that bun and ponytail bit went out when I was like, 7! And those damn ringlets…what is she trying to so, resurrect Shirley Temple?" Jamie, a tall and grotesquely thin girl, mocked. She reveled in the laughter her gab brought her.

Katie studied the new girl's reaction to all that was said, wagering if she truly was one of 'them'. Right now, she was not so sure. Wanting to push Beth a little bit, she told her, "If you're one of us, Beth, you'll stay away from her. She may think she's everything, but she is nothing," Katie spat out, " Hang around with her, and you'll be nothing too." Beth did nothing but look off in the direction of the grassy path to which Aurora had escaped.

Just keep your head up, and walk away, Aurora kept telling herself as she sought to take refuge in the nearby trees of the path in front of her. Feeling her skin cool upon reaching their shadowy shelter , Aurora let her mask of difference slip from the soft contours of her face. One mask lost, only to be replaced by another – one of profound sadness, which dwelt in the silvery depths of her eyes. What is wrong with me that makes me so unwanted? My peers…my… family…

At that thought, an old wound was torn open, and such an intense pain overwhelmed Aurora's heart that her chest ached. Tears alighted in her sorrowful eyes, brimming, and catching, in her long lashes as she continued down the path that lay in front of her. Stopping, she leaned up against a tree, forcing the tears back deep inside of her. She'd be damned if she'd let any of them see her cry. But, oh, how oppressive the loneliness felt; how cutting the pain, to know how scorned she was by all who knew her. What have I done that was so wrong…? Aurora shook her head, as if shaking the question out of her mind all together. She'd given up trying to find the answer to that long ago. I was born, she thought scornfully. Let's leave it at that, she told herself. Quelling the emotions inside of her which threatened to destroy all of her control and composure, Aurora began walking again; towards the only one she knew loved her unconditionally.

The path came to an end at the edge of a vast field, completely fenced in by wooden railings. The grass was greener than Aurora could ever remember; and the sweet smell of hay was in the air. The sky was such a perfect blue, and with the soothing sounds of the rustling of the leaves in the wind, Aurora felt her heart begin healing itself once again. With a slight smile on her face, made her way to the fence.

Leaning against it, she couldn't deny the full, beautifully shinning smile that begged to grace her lips. Her eyes shone with such infinite joy, it was as if what her eyes beheld was her only reason to live to her life, and live it well. And it was. There, running wild and free in the middle of the paddock, was a beautiful, strong, white stallion. He lead the herd of mares and yearling colts within, in a strong gallop, rearing his head up and down, kicking his hind quarters up, a display that proved with certainty, all was well in the life of this stallion. His mane and tail flew behind him, as he lead the herd in one direction, than another, at full gallop. None of the other horses challenged his supremacy. It seemed to be an unspoken truth between them all that this stallion's strength was not to be denied or challenged. Nor was to be his gentle nature. Instinctively the horses knew, he would be a strong and gentle leader, one who would protect them.

Aurora knew he was aware of her presence, and allowed him a moment longer to show off before calling him to her, her pride and joy… "Firewalker!!" The stallion came to an abrupt stop, the horses around him dispersing to enjoy the lush grass beneath them. His head shot up, fully alert, his ears perking forward. Then with a bob of his head and a snort, he made his way, full gallop, to the fence against which Aurora leaned. He stopped right in front of her, rearing up, before setting his front hooves on the ground beneath him, and walking gently up to the young woman leaning against the fence. "Hey boy, how are ya today?" Aurora cooed, patting the proffered velvety nose nudged her way. A soft whinny was his reply, as he moved more into her soft touch.

Aurora beamed, everything in her life made right, if but for a moment, just by being there with him. Taking a moment, she took in the beauty of her horse, her majestic Firewalker. Even now, after so many years, he marveled her. His coat was so white, always, it gleamed. A trait which was not so unusual in horses. It was his mane, his tail, and his marking that baffled Aurora. Ruby red. A deep, shimmering, ruby red mane and tail. And the mark – a birthmark of a shinning rub red, five point star. No one had ever been able to explain it, but to Aurora, it only made him all the more precious. Oh, how she loved him. When the world would turn its back on her, there he'd be, with his beautiful blue eyes looking right into her soul, as if he knew what it was that hurt her. Just like he was doing now. Laughing forlornly, Aurora spoke softly, "I can't hide anything from you, can I Firewalker?" Firewalker, in response, moved his head from side to side. With a bemused look on her face, Aurora said, "You know, there are times I swear you can understand me, Firewalker." And with that, she leapt over the fence.

She came up and nuzzled his neck, turning around where she was to run her hands softly down his cheeks, from behind. Resting her head against the strong muscles of his neck, Aurora relinquished her pain over to her greatest, and only friend. "Yeah Firewalker, it was a bad day. I can't win, and I'm getting tired of fighting. The girls here loathe me, without knowing me. Nothing I do makes it any better, only worse." Her voice was no more than a whisper as she spoke, afraid that she may lose complete control, that her barriers may crumble; failing to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. "How horrid a person I must be Firewalker, to be hated by so many. Not even my family wants me; at least, not what is left." The old ache in her heart returned with a vengeance at that, and burying her face in the softness of Firewalker's neck, Aurora tried to find some sort of comfort for the pain. Feeling his mistress holding herself close against him, Firewalker craned his neck and head back, to softly nudge at her from where she stood along side his powerful shoulders and chest. Aurora looked down at the soft, velvety nose reaching back, nudging her leg gently. "Thank you Firewalker. Yes, I know I will always have you," Aurora smiled through her tears.

"I'm going to walk to the bridge, and hang around there for a bit, Firewalker. Give myself a chance to unwind away from any heavy scrutiny," Aurora explained as she climbed back over the fence. A soft whinny of protest made her smile softly. "No worries, Firewalker. I'll be sure to stop by before I return to my dorm." And giving him one last pat on the nose, Aurora continued her trek deeper into the woods bordering the paddock.

She couldn't remember the reason she'd had that day for wandering deeper into these woods. It had been the first week after her school had relocated themselves for the beginning of the new semester. It had been a beautiful, yet another emotionally tumultuous day for her, and not wanting to stop solely at the edge of the paddock, had decided to wander further. Aurora never lived regretting that decision. That day she had found her sanctuary: an old, long forgotten bridge.

Walking through the woods, Aurora's breath was stolen away by the beauty around her. The sky was no longer; it was in fact replaced with an intricate network of intertwined tree limbs, each adored with a golden, green crown of leaves, with every leaf highlighted by the sunlight from up above. The ground was carpeted with green brown moss, and healthy, rich black earth. Where the sun's rays were able to break through the leafy canopy above, small flowers of the forest grew, along with small saplings struggling to make their place in the woodland. The air was rich with the scents of blooming blossoms, and heavy with the moisture that seemed to cling to everything around. And fresh – the air was so undeniably fresh. Aurora breathed deep, a bright smile coming across her face. How happy she was to be back in her own Country again. Canada; just being here gave her strength. For a moment, Aurora Barrett was happy.

Then suddenly the sunlight poured in from above, as the trees part to reveal a well hidden, secluded clearing, blanketed with lush, green grass. At the center of this clearing, lived a small stream, which had craved its place into the forest's floor. Aurora stood silently by for a moment, allowing the hushed sounds of the forest to wash over her. And has she stood, she looked on to the small rocks and pebbles of the stream's bed, and watched, seemingly mesmerized, as the water flowed freely over their glossy surfaces. Then, awaking from her reverie, Aurora made her way to the small, arching bridge that had been built to bridge the gap between the two opposite edges of the stream, centered at the middle of the clearing. It was an old, gray bridge, weathered from years of being at the mercy of the elements. But it remained strong, and true, and to Aurora's eye, seemed free from rot. This was where she came to get away from it all, here, to this small bridge. Aurora figured it couldn't be 6 feet across, but that mattered little to her. Here, she felt at peace, and safe; that was all that mattered.

Standing at the center of the bridge, Aurora leaned by against the railing, her eyes taking in the beginnings of a breath taking sun set. The sky was just starting the turn a beautiful hue of pink, mixed with purple, the moon was just barely visible. Even a star could be seen, shinning just to the left of the sun. Funny…I never noticed that star before…Aurora thought to herself, as she stood looking at the shinning point of light. And many nights had been spent on Aurora's part, combing the sky's with her eyes of silver, committing it all to memory, and never had she came across this beautiful star. How unusual…what!? Aurora bolted up straight, taking a small step back. That star…it…no, I must be seeing things! Standing warily upon the bridge, Aurora' eyes never left the new star shinning in the heavens, as if daring it to change its color again. I'd swear that star just flashed a different color…if only for a moment…a deep ruby red…Aurora shook her head, I'm working too hard, I'm tired, and now I'm seeing things…wonderful, she thought to herself sardonically.

But Aurora could see the sun was very much on its way to the other side of the world, the sky was so alight with the colors of the sunset, each color and hue of pinks, and purples, rich and vibrant. Knowing that the sun would soon be down, and that darkness would fall, Aurora decided, rather begrudgingly, to begin her journey back to her dorm. She hadn't her foot off the bridge before she heard it – a soft whispering, almost at first, intelligible. Then, it grew louder, and the whispering seemed to be coming from right behind her. Spinning around, Aurora saw nothing, only to spin around again upon feeling the breath of someone brush the back of her neck – whispering now right in her ear. And the word upon the lips of the hushed voice was undeniable; it was "Aurora…"

A mad panic, and nearly animalistic fear gripped Aurora. All at once the voice was everywhere, screaming, and whispering all at once. Her heart rammed in her chest, and her instincts of flight finally taking over, Aurora found her strength…and ran. It was dark now, Aurora could see precious little in front of her, but still she ran, her breathing so damnably loud in her ears, the voice forever following her deeper into the darkening woods. The only thought she had in her mind was to get away. She was so utterly horrified, she felt as if the terror alone would drive her past the brink of sanity, felt as if it was tearing her in all directions at once.

She was crying now, was torn and bleeding from falling down to the rough forest floor, from brushing past trees, and running through half-fallen branches. But still, she ran, and still the unrelenting voice chased her. Than suddenly, it was gone. The madding shrieking and soft whispering, which had seemingly come from everywhere yet nowhere all at once, was silenced. Aurora kept running, breathing hard, until she came across a massive tree, its trunk easily 5 feet in diameter, and hid behind it.

Aurora's legs gave out from underneath her as she tried to sit down, putting her back up against the tree. Hugging her knees, she tried to quell the raging fear that threatened to be her undoing. Tears ran unchecked down Aurora's cheeks, as her mind screamed at her, To hell with that fucking voice! Your death will come from your fear alone! Her whole body shook, her breath was ragged. And yet still, she couldn't remain in this small safe haven, nestled among the ancient roots of a massive tree. Aurora had never been one to run away from what she feared, and now, feeling as if she had some control over herself, she couldn't stand by doing nothing, not knowing if what ever it was that had been chasing her, was still out there. Crouching on her knees, Aurora peered around the edge of the tree trunk. The silence seemed now so deafening. Her eyes covering every inch of the terrain before her, Aurora saw nothing; but instinctively knew, something was still not right.

That was when she laid eyes on it.

Aurora froze. Later, she'd swear her very blood stilled in her veins, that her mind gave up all conscious thought, such was her terror upon sighting the creature. Or was it? Looking more closely, Aurora's mind began to work again as she saw, though strangely dressed, it was but a women, that had hunted her throughout the forests. The woman was dressed scantily, her legs and midriff displayed without shame. Her arms were bare, as the black top she wore, in shape, was somewhat reminiscent of a sports bra, a thought which came to Aurora in a rather sardonic tone. But that was where the similarity ended. The top laced up in the front, though the woman had obviously decided not to tie tight the last bit of the lacing, as the tops of her breasts could be seen clearly. Around her middle, was draped a black cloth, styled similarly to that of a loincloth. Her feet were bare, and in her hand, she held a spear. The blade shone silver in the moonlight, which now bathed the small clearing in which they stood. The handle was of a wood, deep and rich in color, its surface glossy, glinting in the moon's light.

These details seemed to be without consequence to Aurora, as her mind registered them barely. It was the woman's face which held Aurora entranced, and frozen in fear. Her eyes… they were so void of everything alive and beautiful, so black they seemed to swallow whole the light of everything she laid her eyes upon. Her lips were blood red, seemingly frozen in a small, sadistic grin. Her deep brown hair, fell in waves down her back. Had it graced the head of any other, Aurora was sure her hair would have been considered beautiful. But the woman's entire being resonated with pure evil, so much so it seemed to seep from her very pours. The stench of it clung to her like a thickening fog, and Aurora found herself easily envisioning the blood of innocents staining her hands. And then the truth struck Aurora…The blood of innocents on her hands…and she is after me… Aurora closed her eyes as another wave of fear and panic ravaged her senses.

Then it spoke.

"Come out, come out, where ever you are, little Guardian," she sneered. "Please, Aurora, do you honestly think you can hide from me? I am princess to this forest! I am Atalanta, huntress of the Gods!" She proclaimed, obviously proud of herself. Her voice than dropped menacingly low, as the creature threatened, "I will find you, little star, and you will die tonight."

Oh Gods, Aurora's soul cried out, What can I do? I have to do something. I won't die here like this! For reasons she would never know or understand, Aurora then raised her eyes to the stars above, her eyes searching unconsciously for the star she'd seen only an hour before. The moon was out in full that night, and now, just to its right, shone that star. Aurora was held spellbound by its light so completely, it seemed to be as if by enchantment. Then a sudden sense of peace flowed through her, as a voice she knew, but could not quite place, spoke to her heart, giving her the chance to survive. The voice whispered to her three words, three words that would have her fate forever sealed.

Seal her fate, those three words may, but Aurora knew, it was her choice whether to speak them aloud, or not. She could take this possible pathway to salvation, offered to her by powers unknown, by speaking three simple little words. Or, she could face the creature as she was; alone and completely unable to protect herself. Aurora's heart knew the choice to be taken, long before her mind could reconcile it. Walking out from behind her sanctuary, Aurora decided to face her destiny head on.

For but a moment, Atalanta's face alighted with the thought of the victory she was certain would be hers; but that moment passed quickly, and all to soon, that light died. "Threaten me as you might, Atalanta! But I will not be the one to die tonight!" Aurora's voice boomed throughout the clearing. Turning her face to the stars, a star appeared upon Aurora's forehead, ruby red, and five pointed. Aurora closed her eyes, and casting her face down, as if to look to the ground below, screamed out, "Imperial!" Casting her open, shinning silver eyes to the night sky above, the light from her Star Mark reaching to the heavens, Aurora called out the second word spoken to her by the voice unknown. "Star!" Then, bowing her head, Aurora closed her eyes, and cried out the final word whispered to her, completing the command. "Power!"

And so is the birth of a star.

Upon the completion of her command, Aurora's transformation ensued; a beautiful fulfillment of one's destiny and realization of one's power.

Ruby red light exploded throughout the forest, forcing Atalanta to shield her eyes. Straining against the searing light, Atalanta stood witness to Aurora's transformation. The star upon her forehead seemed to become as liquid, and from it burst forth a beam of stardust. The star itself splashed, and rippled upon the star beam's exiting. The beam was straight edged, and a deep ruby red. Yet from the straight edge, down, the beam trailed off into stardust, leaving it to fall sparkling to the ground around her. The beam shot high into the air in front of Aurora, then fell back, and began to circle round her. As it did so, the stardust trailing from the beam fell upon Aurora and took shape. First earrings could be seen, consisting of three pearls hanging down, finished with a small star. The beam continued to circle lower, and from the stardust was formed a choker round Aurora's neck, a star set in front. As the beam continued circling lower still, a Sailor Soldier uniform took formed upon Aurora's body. As the star beam circled her legs and surrounded her feet, high-heeled shoes took their proper place. Yet her entire uniform remained the color of the stardust- ruby red.

All the while Aurora stood perfectly still, her head bowed, arms spread ever so slightly at her sides. Her feet and legs remained together, and hovered just above the forest's floor. Finally the beam reached its place in front of Aurora's feet, and in the instant that it did so, a grand explosion resulted.

Atalanta was once again blinded as a second explosion of light ripped throughout the woodland. The edges of the blast were of a ruby red, while the center was of silver. When the light faded, Aurora stood suspended still, in the air, yet now her uniform held color. Her shoes glittered ruby red, as did the bows of her uniform gracing her front and the small of her back. Her skirt glittered silver, along with her sailor uniform's collar. Her choker was of the same silver, though the star adorning the choker's front was a glittering ruby red. The pearls of her earrings were cream in color, and the star hanging from their ends were as the star adorning her choker. Within the center of her front's bow was held a silver brooch, upon which was engraved, within the silver, the mark of a five pointed star. Aurora wore no gloves reaching to her elbows, however - her arms were left bare, the nails of her fingers glittering brightly with a polish colored ruby red. In the end, all that remained to appear was Aurora's tiara.

For but a moment Aurora remained still, suspended by the air around her. Then silently and swiftly she raised her hands above her head, crossing them one in front of another at the wrists, one wrist's side against the other's. Her hands arched back, forming a V shape, and were then brought down in front of her star mark. There she held her hands as her tiara took shape upon her brow. The tiara itself was silver, with intricate leafless, curving vine-like designs engraved into its surface; the mark of the Star solidifying into a star shaped, ruby red gem.

Upon the completion of her tiara, Aurora swiftly brought her hands out to her sides, at the position they were in during her transformation. She extended her left leg forward slightly, widening her stance, and stood proudly. " I am Sailor Star!" she proclaimed, " and for the Honor of Love and by the Power of the Sun, you will be destroyed!"

Atalanta stood, shock evident on her features. This was not expected. My mistress told me she had yet to realize her powers! Damn it! Oh well, no bother. She's no match for my strength! Atalanta sneered to herself. "Tsk, Tsk, Tsk, Sailor Star…one should not be so over confident. You should never underestimate your enemies – that will only lead to your defeat!" Atalanta patronized Aurora. But somewhere, in the far recesses of her mind, Aurora knew she'd heard that spoken to her before. She had little time to contemplate as to where, however, when Atalanta attacked.

She was swift, her attack sudden. She lunged at Sailor Star, her spear pointed at the young Guardian's heart. Aurora didn't think, didn't have time to think, and could do nothing more than follow instincts she'd not known she had. In the instant before the spear was about it reach its target, Sailor Star leapt into the air. "What?!" Aurora's enemy shrieked as Sailor Star rose higher above her. Atalanta watched, nearly awestruck, as the young Guardian she thought would be so easy to destroy, turned in mid air, the Guardian's hair wiping about her face, to come to land upon the ground behind her, already facing her, and ready to defend herself. Atalanta spun around, arm outstretched, her dark powers pooling about her hand, prepared to attack; but she was too late.

Your powers can harm only that which is evil…the voice had trailed off as Aurora came to land upon the ground, facing her enemy. She knew suddenly what it was she had to do; what it was she could do. "Star Light Incineration!" Throwing her hands down to her sides, in one fluid movement, she brought them together in front of her; her hands still held below her waist. In one quick motion, she brought her arms up parallel to the ground, snapped her wrists up, which had hung loosely before, and spread her palms wide; her left hand in front of her right.

It is strange, the workings of the mind. Just before the three streams of silver fire, coiled around each other, that had erupted from the young Guardian's hands, struck her a near fatal blow, the thought that crossed Atalanta's mind was not how to defend herself against the on coming attack. But rather, how, with her hands held one in front of the other, palms spread wide, with the fingers of one hand taking their place between the fingers of the other, it was almost a star figure Sailor Star's hands created. But that thought was fleeting, and she was able to throw herself out of destruction's path before any real damage was done. However, Atalanta was not quite fast enough. Her right leg caught the brunt of the attack, the fire of silver enveloping itself around her helpless limb - its purity burning through her evil.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Atalanta screamed out in pure hatred and suffering. Lying on the ground, her body shaking from the force of the blow, and the pain that tore through her, Atalanta glared up at sailor Star through dark lashes, her eyes seething. "You will die for this, Aurora! A slow, and painful death! That I assure you!" she screamed out at the young Guardian. Had the threat caused Aurora unrest, however, it did not show. She remained motionless and wary, her entire body tense and alert, preparing for the worst. In the moment of one breath taken, Atalanta faded away, only to reappear directly behind Sailor Star. Taken unawares, she had no time to react. Atalanta easily swept Aurora's feet out from beneath her with the wooden end of her spear, and watched with a mocking sneer upon her face, as Sailor Star landed hard upon her back on the forest's floor. Helplessly pinned down by the spearhead being dug into her chest, aimed for her heart, Sailor Star could do precious little to fight back.

For good measure, Atalanta dug the spearhead into the soft flesh of Aurora's chest, just to hear the young Guardian cry out. "I said you would be the one to die tonight, little star. I would have been merciful, and kill you quickly, but now your death will be very…very…slow," Atalanta taunted as she turned the spearhead from side to side, gouging at Aurora's chest even more. "Aaaarggghhh…" Aurora bit back the scream that threatened to escape her lips as she felt the burning coolness of the spear's blade dig deeper into her. Her hands balled up into tight fists, as if that alone would dull the pain.

"But…hmmm… ," Atalanta pondered, as she thrusted the spear's point into areas all across Sailor Star's upper body, successfully keeping the young Guardian pinned down, listening with sadistic glee at every muffled scream that Aurora attempted to lock inside herself. "If I should plunge my sear into your heart, you will die quickly. I and can't have that, now can we?" Atalanta sneered down at her. "What to do, what do to…hmmm…well, this looks like a damn fine place to start," Atalanta maliciously concluded. Aurora's eyes widened in horror as she watched the sickening creature above her, holding her down at spear point, raise that spear, and plunge it into her left shoulder.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Aurora screamed out with all that was in her. Pain ripped though her senses with all the fury of Hell's Fires, leaving her whole body quivering, and nauseated. Blood poured from the wound, creating rivulets in the soft earthy floor of the forest. Laughing sadistically, Atalanta turned the spear sharply from side to side in the fresh wound, before ripping the spear out. Aurora withered in pain upon the earth, all color lost from her cheeks and eyes, her whole body trembling, and herself well beyond the capacity of speech. But through the pain ladened fog that clouded her mind, again came the voice, so unknown, yet so familiar, that spoke to her, guided her – told her the way. The way to surviving this battle, only to face so many more.

Atalanta, still laughing maniacally, raised her silver-headed spear above her own head, it's point poised to rip through the soft flesh of Sailor Star's abdomen. The spear, however, never was given a second chance to maim its victim. Atalanta thrusted down with all her might, sure to send the spearhead straight through the young Guardian she held at her mercy. But instead, she was met with a solid force, prohibiting her from continuing her torture: Sailor Star. Looking down, amazement alighting in her eyes, Atalanta saw Aurora holding the spearhead solidly in her right hand. With reflexes faster than she'd known possible, Aurora had thrown her hand out at the last moment to catch the spearhead, before she could be wounded further. And with a strength she knew not that she possessed, she held it there.

Atalanta struggled against the hold of the young Guardian, but to no avail. Within the silvery depths of Sailor Star's eyes, pooled a loathing and deadliness unlike anything that had been seen before. Looking up into the eyes of her torturer, this hatred and deadliness swam to the surface of those eyes of silver, and Aurora conveyed, without the hindrance of words, that her torturer's death was not long in the coming. With her eyes burning in intensity, Sailor Star's voice boomed throughout the now dead silent grove. "SUN BEAM BURN!!"

Golden light pooled around Sailor Star's right hand, in which was held the spear, a powerful beam of intense strength and golden light bursting forth. In moments, Atalanta was engulfed, her screams of ungodly torment echoing throughout the forest, as the intense purity of Star's powers ripped through her, tearing her apart, searing her; incinerating her into nothingness.

When the light faded, all that remained of the woman creature was ashes.

Nothing moved in the forest. No winds rushed through the leaves, no nocturnal creature made its mark by calling out; there was nothing. Save for the harsh breathing of one badly wounded young woman, sitting listlessly upon the forest's floor, her staring eyes unseeing. She didn't notice the pain anymore, and paid no heed to the thick darkness that surrounded her. Not even the moon could bear to stand witness to her torture; it had sought out safety behind the thickening clouds, which now covered the skies. Her mind raced, frantic for all of what happened to make sense. Everything seemed blurred, her whole body seemed to be slowing down. I'm dying…

That one thought broke through the chaos raging in Aurora's mind, bringing her to full alert. Her eyes focused on the world around her, and the throbbing, mind numbing pain of her left shoulder became all too real. Suddenly, she panicked. Her heart raced, her breathing came in short gasps, as the fear of dying out there, in the forests… alone…took hold of her mind and heart. Everything around her sent fear coursing through her, as it all reminded her of the creature that had threatened to end her life so suddenly, so painfully, only moments before. And so, in a flash of glittering silver, and ruby red, Sailor Star ran from the woods. Through the tree branches that reached out to impede her escape, over the fallen logs which threatened to cause her to fall, and across the vast expanse of the field in which the paddock was held.

She was knowingly pushing her body to its limits, but she urged herself to run faster. She knew where she would be safe; she just had to live long enough to get there. But as fast she ran, her heart pumped her blood throughout her body faster. The blooding pouring from her wound was astronomical; it coated both the front and back of her uniform. The vast loss of blood left Aurora's mind cloudy, dizzy; a loud ringing sounding in her ears. Her entire body felt sick, but still on she ran – to the stables.

She paused only long enough to hurriedly open the massive double barn doors, not minding to close them again as she ran down the expansive corridor between stables. She knew where to find him without having to think; blind she could have found her Firewalker. Three stables in, and to the right.

As she ran, she could hear him, rearing in his stall, telling her he knew she was coming, knew that she was hurt. By way of his animal instincts alone, Firewalker had known his mistress's life had been threatened, and wished only to have her close, so he could then protect her.

Throwing up the latch that held shut the stall door, Aurora flung herself inside, her arms wrapping themselves tightly around the neck of her most beloved friend, Firewalker. And there she cried, her tears coming in torrents, her sobs racking her slender body, heedless of the pain. Her blood stained the stallion's white coat, but neither noticed, nor cared. And as Sailor Star's legs finally gave out beneath her, Firewalker slowly lowered them both to the stall's floor, Sailor Star's arms still wrapped fearfully about his strong neck.

Tucking his head up against her, Firewalker whinnied softly as his mistress continued to sob, seeming to cry with the knowledge gained by instinct, that his mistress was soon to die. Then suddenly, he reared his head back. A shimmering pink light gently invaded the safe haven created by the great white stallion, and his mistress. The light surrounded Sailor Star, shimmering around her as would an aura of light, and as it did so, Aurora's sobbing quieted, soon stopping all together. Her body relaxed, and slumped against Firewalker, her harsh gasps softening into gentle breathing.

Firewalker then knew Aurora was asleep.

Sensing that now, all would be well, that his mistress would survive, Firewalker allowed himself to relax, his head coming down to keep the young woman still wrapped somewhat about his neck, safely in place. Within moments, sleep claimed Firewalker's tired mind and body, sending him into a deep, dreamless sleep. And as they slept, only the soft light from the corridor beyond shone upon them. The yellow light illuminated the forms of a young woman and her slumbering stallion, shimmering in colors of silvers and reds - her body held protectively in a healing aura of light.

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