WCDCh4 ***Here is the fourth chapter! A major battle scene which I hope you like! Please let me know what you think! Visit my site and use the email address there, or use Fan Fiction's review. But please let me know how the story is!! =0) And as always, I don't not own any of the original Sailor Moon characters, but I do own Sailor Star, so please don't take her! At least not without asking me. ;0) Well, enough chit chat! Here it is!***

Evening Star

With the Coming of the Dawn

Chapter Four


Where, Aurora?

Patience Firewalker. It's close.

Closing her eyes Sailor Star looked inside of herself, desperate to make sense of the instincts pulling her in all directions at once. It did this to her very time she was summoned. It was an overwhelming pull, a blinding need to follow and obey a call from an undeniable force: one of the ten ruby red crystals.

Whenever she was in close vicinity of a crystal it would call out to her, usually during the nights to allow her the chance to search under the cover of darkness. She would awaken with her Star Mark shining bright, as if to light her way to the very crystal itself. Then it would hit her. The over powering need to hunt, to seek out the crystal before one of the Sorceress's minions could claim it in the name of her Mistress and destroy it.

Firewalker heard her audibly gasp.

Aurora!What is it?!

"Nothing Firewalker," she spoke quietly. "Just…land here."

Bobbing his head, Firewalker complied, giving Star the chance to catch her breath. The callings of the crystals were getting much stronger now than before. Just moments before she'd felt such a clenching in her chest she couldn't breathe. But at least now she knew where the crystal was. And by the looks of it, she'd gotten here before the Sorceress.

Firewalker slowed his descent as he was quickly approaching the earth below. They came to rest beside a beautiful stream nestled deep within a forest hours away from Tokyo. Hours by conventional means of transportation that is. Smiling to herself as she approached the babbling brook by moonlight, Star again marveled at the swiftness and speed of her beloved Guardian.

Around the World in 80 hours, she thought, chuckling. Ha! I doubt it would take him that long!

Stepping into the crystalline stream and pausing for a moment, Star watched as the cool waters swirled around her heeled shoes. She watched as the waters caught the moonlight; watched as the glittering sequence of her shoes sparkled in that same moonlight, their shine intensified by the water in which they were submersed.

Looking up to the heavens, her breath was carried away by the winds at the sight of the heavens above. The night sky was so clear. She missed night skies like this. The city lights of Tokyo drowned it out, making it impossible to see the stars and galaxies beyond. For a moment, Sailor Star's soul was filled with a sense of peace. She could even go as far to say that she was happy. Such beauty as what laid before her eyes now always lifted her spirits.

Her content smile never leaving her face, Star bent down, submersing her hand in the cool, swirling waters. Her fingers sifted through the pebbles lining the stream's bed until they found what they sought.

There beneath the bedrocks, hidden for centuries, was the seventh ruby crystal.

Standing up and stepping out of the stream, Star dried her hand as her other went beneath her Sailor Fuku, untying a small silver drawstring purse from around her waist. Opening the small purse, Star prepared to drop the crystal in with its other 6 counter parts - but then she hesitated.

Holding the crystal in her hand for a moment, Star admired its beauty. It was such a beautiful deep ruby red, it almost seemed black in the moonlight. It was finely cut, circular in shape,with each small face reflecting the light from above.

And to think such a small thing could be apart of something so much more powerful. Hm…

Then she felt it - an adrenaline rush unlike another. Her psyche's way of warning her…The Sorceress was near. She could feel the evil energy in the very marrow of her bones. And try as she might, she could not ignore the clenching of her heart. Instantly on the defense, Sailor Star's eyes swept over the landscape before her. Reaching out with her instincts into the darkness around her, Star attempted to determine the place of hiding of the minion she knew had been sent to destroy her.

Her wait for this minion to reveal herself was not long in the coming.

A swirling of dark energy appeared on the opposite side of the small babbling brook. When the swirling mists cleared, Star's blood ran cold.

"Inferna…Dear Gods…" Was her only thought.

"Hello, Star Child," The venomous woman spat out. "Please Aurora! Don't look so shocked. Had you really believed that you were strong enough to defeat me?!" Her dead voice crackled out in laughter at the thought. Taking a step forward, Inferna unfurled her bat-like wings. "Now, now Aurora! Where are your manners? Aren't you even going to say Hello?"

"Go back to the Hell from which you came, demon!" Star growled. Inferna smiled at that.

"Surely; but not before I kill you."

Calm yourself, Aurora. If you fight in anger, you will lose!

If Sailor Star could hear Firewalker's orders, she didn't show it. Her mind had taken her back to the first fight against this demon of darkness.

It had been her battle for the third ruby crystal, which had lain hidden in a valley of the Rocky Mountain Range. It had been there that she had fought, and nearly lost to, Inferna.

Inferna was a hideous creature, with eyes blood red and wings as black as night. Her hair fell down past her shoulders in black waves. Only weaving black vines covered her body. They encircled her limbs, barely covering her decently.

She sneered as Sailor Star's eyes moved over her, baring her fang like teeth.

That night, which now seemed so long ago, had almost been the end of Sailor Star. Massive blood loss, dislocated shoulder – broken collarbone; it remained an unsolved mystery and a miracle as to how she'd escaped with her life.

That had been almost a year ago. Now, Inferna was back.

Believing she had taken the young Guardian off guard, Inferna attacked. She took to the air above Star, her webbed wings catching the wind currents. Sailor Star reacted quickly.

"Firewalker! To Me!"

Firewalker was at her side in an instant and was just about to take flight as Star grabbed hold of his reins, lifting herself up on his back.

"Bow! To Me!" Star called out as she settled herself on Firewalker, searching the skies for her opponent. A silver quiver of arrows shimmered into being upon her back, as an ornately designed silver bow materialized in her outstretched hand. Pulling an arrow out of the quiver on her back she readied it and her bow, waiting to attack. Hearing an animalistic screeching coming from below, Star looked downward with a start - only to see Inferna charging up from beneath.

"Firewalker! Move!" Star called out sharply. He waited until the last minute and then veered quickly to the left. Inferna did not react quickly enough. She flew right past them, exposing herself to Sailor Star's wrath.

"Star Fire Arrow!" She called out, drawing back her bow and releasing the arrow she held. "Ignite!"

Silver fire erupted, swallowing the arrow whole as it hit its mark - the dead center of Inferna's right side.

"AAAAAAAAAaaaaaaahhhhh!!!" Inferna hissed out in pain as the purity of Star's attack burned through her flesh. She spun quickly around, her hand outstretched, gathering energies.

"You will suffer for that, you little bitch!" Inferna screamed, releasing a sphere of dark energy, sending it hurtling towards Star and Firewalker. Counting on the darkness of night to hide her, Sailor Star commanded Firewalker to dive.

What are you planning Star?

Just wait, Firewalker. We have to get her earth bound. She's more maneuverable than us. Hide. Come when I call for you.

With that, Star leapt from Firewalker's saddle, landing without a sound on the earth below.

Be careful Aurora.

Star smiled warmly as her Guardian's deep voice resonated softly throughout her mind.

"I will Firewalker, I promise," she spoke softly to the shadows.

With a backdrop of beautifully shining stars to hide her position, Sailor Star could not determine where exactly Inferna had gotten to. Her senses alert, her instincts screaming at her to fight, Star strained to calm her breathing. It sounded so loud in her ears – she couldn't afford for anything to inhibit her ability to track Inferna down.

Without warning, Inferna was everywhere yet nowhere all at once. Her voice reverberated off the trees lining the clearing, coming from every direction.

"Give me the crystal Aurora, and I will let you live. Don't and you die tonight." Aurora sneered at this.

"How bout you show yourself, Dark Creature! Face me and I promise you will die a quick death!"

Inferna's crackling sounded throughout the clearing. "You do have gall, Aurora. That I must admit. Such a pity a mind like yours must be lost!"

A vicious wind picked up, howling through the trees, tearing off branches, and making breathing almost impossible for the young woman taking shelter in the woods. Struggling out into the clearing, her hair wiping wildly about her face, Sailor Star stood to defy the demon she fought. All at once the wind stopped, leaving Star gasping for air, her bow held tightly in her hand.

A moment of weakness is a dangerous thing. And a moment of weakness Sailor Star showed as she fought to regain the air lost from her lungs by the devastating winds. Inferna was on her in a heartbeat.

The attack was sudden; brief yet painful. A massive sphere of negative energy engulfed Star was she stood in the clearing. The roaring of the powers swallowed Sailor Star's screams whole as they tore her apart from the inside out. Tears instantly came to Aurora eyes as she stood paralyzed by Inferna's attack, her entire body screaming out as the dark energies ate away at her very soul.

The sphere dissipated slowly, releasing Aurora to fall to her knees on the ground. Looking up through her tears to see her enemy hovering in the air above, Sailor Star's eyes seethed with hatred and a solemn vow that promised death to her attacker. Her breath ragged, her whole body trembling, Sailor Star stood up. Revealing in the look of surprised that crossed over Inferna's face, Star smirked.

"You'll have to do better than that Inferna," she hissed out in carefully formed words, her voice dangerously low.

"You see Aurora, that's your greatest problem. You just don't know when to stay down." A spear materialized in her hand. Sounding her war cry, Inferna lunged at Star. Pulling herself together, Star ran for the woods. She knew the trees were too close together to support winged flight.

See if your wingspan will allow you flight within these woods, you bitch! Star screamed out in her mind.

Running far faster than her body's wounds allowed, Star ran straight for the heart of the forest. She pushed herself farther as she heard Inferna's fastly approaching footsteps behind her. Deciding to give up on physically running Aurora down, Inferna called upon her powers, disappearing from behind Star to reappear right in front of her.

Sailor Star stopped short. But not allowing her enemy one moment to gain the upper hand, she threw her hands down to her sides. In one fluid movement she brought her hands together in front of her, raising her arms up parallel to the forest floor. Snapping her wrists up with one hand in front of the other, palms spread wide, she prepared to attack. The fingers of one hand showed through between the spaces of the fingers of the other hand, forming almost a ten-pointed star.

With the summoning of her powers complete, Sailor Star called out, "Starlight Incineration!"

Three streams of silver fire, wove around each other to form one continuous stream, burst forth from Star's outstretched palms. Inferna expected this however, and leapt into the air moments before the attack hit.

This time it was Sailor Star who couldn't react fast enough.

As Inferna took to the air, so did Star, in attempts to move quickly out of the way. But Inferna accelerated her decent, her leg outstretched, and meet Star half way while both were still airborne.

"Aaahhhggg..." Star moaned loudly as Inferna's foot came into forceful contact with her upper chest in mid air, breaking her collarbone. Both fell to the ground; Star taking the brunt of the fall, cracking her ribs.

"AAAAaaarrgghhhh…" she cried out as she hit, feeling Inferna land closely beside her. Fighting the hot white pain that shot through her body, her vision blurred, Sailor Star fought to stand up. Getting to her feet, Star became frighteningly aware that she was alone in the tiny cleared space they'd chosen to fight this battle in. She stood still, demanding from her body a calmer heartbeat and less ragged breathing. She just simply had to hear where Inferna was going to come at her from.

Yet there was nothing. Wind rustled the leaves, branches groaned quietly; and somewhere far off, an animal cried.But still nothing which would give Inferna away.

Damn her! Sailor Star cursed as she ran her fingers along her collarbone, feeling for the break. She found it quickly. Hissing in pain, she attempted to determine the damage done to her ribs when she felt it - a stirring deep inside of her, warning her of the danger to come.

Aurora's instincts screamed at her to look up. Her head shot up, her eyes focusing on her enemy suspended in air by her own powers. Inferna's hands were drawn close together, dark energies pooling about her outstretched arms. Fury sweeping through her like wildfire, Sailor Star raised her right leg, bringing it down forcefully on the ground.

Her foot hit its target and a golden beam shot up towards the heavens, surrounding Star in a column of light. Her hands down at her sides, she raised them up in front of her above her head, forming the ten point star with her outstretched palms. A golden sphere of light pooled about her hands as she brought them down parallel to the ground, her hands separating to the point that only her thumbs remained connected, crossed at the knuckle. Holding her arms out in front of her, finished with the summoning of her powers, she cried out into the night, "SUN BEAM BURN!"

A beam of golden light, strong and true, met Inferna's ray of darkness head on.

And so ensued a battle of power between an Angel of Darkness and a Guardian of Light.

It's too much…Aurora's mind screamed. This is taking too long! I can't keep this up…too much power…Kiaya… give me strength.

Sailor Star's body cried out in pain at the force of the power surging through it. With her mind dazed from loss of blood, her breathing labored from broken bones, the outpouring of energy in the battle against Inferna was proving too much.

Praying to her Queen, Sailor Star searched the depths of her soul for the will to continue. With the passing of each moment, Inferna seemed to grow stronger. She hovered in the air above, her bat like wings flapping around her.

"I promise you this, Young Guardian," Inferna sneered, "Your Queen will never be found, the Sun Stone will never be brought forth, and YOU will not live to see the next day's dawn!" Throwing her arms to the side, Inferna threw them back towards the Solitary Soldier, more power surging through her attack.

Star moaned loudly as Inferna's attack renewed hit. The new powerful force of the attack reverberated back down to Aurora, forcing her to step back in order to not be thrown completely backwards. Seeing no other choice than to increase her outpouring of energies, Sailor Star began to falter.

My powers, my body is failing me…I don't have the strength…Inferna's too strong…

With every fiber of her being strained to the breaking point, Sailor Star called out to the only one she knew could help her now.

Firewalker…help me…

I'm with you Aurora, came his reply.

Watching as Inferna's ray forced its way closer and closer to her, Sailor Star finally allowed herself to consider that this may be one battle she wouldn't walk away from. The thought hadn't fully crossed her mind when Firewalker flew into her line of sight. Instantly understanding what is was he was about to do, Sailor Star's eyes widened in horror. Knowing it was too late to stop him, she could do nothing but watch as her Guardian rammed into her enemy from the side. Driving Inferna into a massively tall oak, standing not 7 feet away, Firewalker took to the canopy of the trees, hoping the leaves would provide him with cover.

With her concentration broke, Inferna's attack died, allowing Sailor Star to 'lower arms'. Falling hard to the ground, Inferna was not seriously hurt. Seething with rage, her eyes shot to the treetops, knowing that the flying horsy who'd thrown her off balance would try to hide from her there. Finding the object of her rage, Inferna prepared to attack…with the intent to kill.

Aurora saw all of this; saw all that Inferna prepared to do. A sense of fear unlike anything Star had ever known gripped her heart and soul, the pressure threatening to break her apart. Without a moment of thought, Sailor Star screamed out as she leapt into the air.

"Firewalker! NOOOO!"

Hearing his name being screamed out by his charge, Firewalker's head wiped back. Forever after would the image of Sailor Star taking the brunt of an attack meant to kill him, be burned into his memory.

Star flew through the air, having leapt from the ground below, intercepting the beam of dark energies meant for her Guardian.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…" Aurora's scream pierced through the all-consuming silence of the forest. The attack engulfed her, searing her limbs with intense black lightening. The force at which it hit had been enough to break all of her ribs.The power of the attack was so extremely evil that it ate away at Star's body, leaving wounds that could not seen. Internal wounds that left blood to seep to the surface of her skin. But the pain was too much. Losing consciousness, Sailor Star fell over twenty feet to the ground below.

Her body hit the ground below with a sickening thud. Firewalker, desperate to protect his Sailor of the Stars, dove towards the earth. Inferna, seeing the incapacitation of Aurora had little concern for Firewalker. Walking towards her seemingly lifeless body, without turning to look, Inferna threw an attack behind her, paralyzing Firewalker. Luckily, he had already touched down on the ground before the attack hit. Now he was left to watch mercilessly as Sailor Star was left in the sadistic hands of her enemy.

As Inferna approached, she could see Star's breathing was painfully shallow. Precious little was left of her Uniform; and what tatters remained barely kept her decently covered. Her skin was marred by burn marks. Her hair, having come undone from its bun and ponytail, laid matted with blood about her head.

"My Mistress would have your heart, Aurora," Inferna hissed as she knelt beside the dying Child of the Stars. "Such a pity you won't be wake to watch me ripped it from your chest!" Holding her hand above Star's chest, Inferna retracted her talon like nails. Drawing her hand back, Inferna plunged her talons into Star's chest, right above her heart.

Aurora suddenly came back into consciousness. Arching her back against her enemy's hand, Aurora threw her head back to scream. Only a hoarse cry came in protest – her throat was too raw from before.

Twisting her hand side-to-side, gouging her talons deeper into Sailor Star's exposed flesh, Inferna revealed in watching the young Guardian writher in pain. Pushing her nails deeper in, Inferna watched as Star's back arched against her hand for a second time. Watching Sailor Star's face twist in agony, Inferna noticed her blood stained lips moving – no words, just movement. Leaning closer, Inferna strained to hear what words the Star Child was whispering.

"Famous last words, Aurora?" Inferna queried, her tone thick with sarcasm. "How quaint."

Leaning closely over her prone body, Inferna put her ear very near to Aurora's lips. It wasn't until it was too late did she realize what the words the young Guardian was whispering, were.

Within the moment of one breath taken,Sailor Star's hand came up to clasp Inferna's – the one dug deep into her chest. Raising her voice just to the threshold, Inferna heard only three words…

"Sun Beam Burn."

The words were spoken softly, but the effect was the same. Golden, searing light engulfed the two on the forest floor. With a physical strength she did not know she possessed, Sailor Star held onto Inferna's wrist, absolutely refusing to let her go.

This time it was Inferna's screams piercing the silence of the forest. Her body burned as the power from Star's attack ravaged her body, its purity tearing her evil apart.

The membrane of her wings, her hair…her flesh… it all went up into flames.

Inferna pulled madly at Aurora's arm, trying desperately to escape – to no avail. But Aurora could feel her strength weakening. Unable to uphold against the sheer force of her powers, Sailor Star let go, releasing Inferna from her attack. What remained of the demon staggered five feet away from where Star lay breathing heavy on the forest floor. Wincing as she turned her head to the left, Star watched as Inferna collapsed, her flesh black from burning and still steaming.

Nothing remained of Inferna's wings; her scalp was covered in blood –black blood. The air reeked of burnt flesh and plasma. These stenches only went to worsen Star's crippling nausea, brought on because of her wounds and massive expenditure of energy. But she knew she must get up.

With hot white pain ripping through her from her collarbone, to her ribs, to her wounds suffered internally, miraculously, Sailor Star stood. Even this small task proved to be too much for her, however. Staggering a few steps in every direction, Star collapsed to her knees, her body simply unable to uphold its own weight.

On her knees, Sailor Star's bloodshot eyes never left Inferna's prone form laying only a few feet away. Unable to keep herself upright, Star fell forward, her arms coming out to stop her fall. Now on all fours, Star's head hung limb between her arms until her senses picked up on a small ripple of disturbance coming from Inferna's direction.

Instantly assuming Inferna had survived her final attack and was preparing to kill her once and for all, Star slowly raised her head. Her eyes of silver reflected only an abyss, a void where once was a will to live. But her eyes beheld a sight that gave back to her that will. Inferna's body slowly faded from existence, leaving only a few ashes and a body's imprint on a forest floor.

Sailor Star's whole body slumped, her head falling to hang limply once again. Her eyes focused on the earth beneath her. She watched as her blood dripped from the gapping wound in her chest to fall to the ground below, forming tiny rivulets and pools. Her mind numb of all rational thought and emotion, Sailor Star watched completely detached as her lifeblood mixed with Inferna's in one such pool. The small puddle of blood ignited, its flames following a path of blood back to where Inferna's blood had lain moments before. Other rivulets of blood caught fire as well, until all blood on the forest floor was burning, creating a small delta of fire.

Star pushed herself back and away from the flames, completely dumbstruck.

That has never happened before…was her only thought.

In only a moment, the flames died down and then weregone – taking with them any trace that Inferna had once existed.

Her eyes staring blankly at her surroundings, Star started suddenly when she felt a small nudge on her shoulder. Turning her eyes blindly about, she saw Firewalker standing close to her, his muzzle nestling her shoulder. With Inferna now dead, the spell she had cast over him was broken; Firewalker could once more move freely. Reaching out a shaky hand, Star timidly ran her hand down the side of Firewalker's mask. Her eyes went on unseeing, stared down at nothing as she continued to stroke Firewalker's mask. Then moving her head up, she turned her eyes to Firewalker's. Looking down at her, Firewalker felt his heart break.

The eyes that looked up at him were not the eyes of Aurora, the hard schoolgirl; nor where they the eyes of Sailor Star, the war worn warrior. They were the eyes of a lost little girl, helpless and alone. They were the eyes of the young girl Firewalker remember from so long ago, when everything precious to her had been lost; when life itself had stolen away her innocence.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as Sailor Star beseeched Firewalker with her eyes to make the pain go away. Knowing he could not only made the dull ache in Firewalker's heart deepen. The look of the lost little girl faded from Aurora's eyes, as she held her head in her hands, sobbing. Incapable of such show of emotion, Firewalker could only lay down next to her, hoping his body would shield her delicate frame from the biting wind that had arose. Hoping that the comforting embrace of his neck coming round her to pull her close would give her some peace. Leaning up against his chest, Aurora cried, the first time in a very long time. Finding that her sobbing was subsiding, Firewalker made a move to let Aurora know the dawn was fast approaching and that they had better leave.

Without a word whispered between them, Aurora lifted her head, dried her tears, and mounted Firewalker heedless of her wounds. With a grace and gentleness that contradicted his size, Firewalker got to his feet. Hearing Aurora call upon her powers of healing, Firewalker called upon his own powers of protection to protect Sailor Star during her magical healing slumber.

"Star Twilight Magic," Star's voice came without tone, without feeling. Her powers of healing surrounded her in an aura of pink, shimmering light. As her powers enveloped her, Sailor Star slowly drifted into a deep sleep. Knowing she would not live to see home unless she began her healing now, Aurora didn't wait, trusting Firewalker to keep her safe. Feeling the presence of Aurora's healing power, Firewalker knew it was time to leave. Taking to the air, he took his time returning to the stables of the campus, his mind lost in thought.

Firewalker just couldn't shake that lost look of hopelessness he'd seen in Sailor Star's eyes. His mind recalled with great pain a time when that lost little girl hadn't been lost. Firewalker could remember the cheerful little girl Aurora had once been; could remember her joyous laughter, her bouncing golden curls. He could hear her little voice pleading with her father to take her out in the rowboat again, or to take her for another pony ride. He could see her running to catch the butterflies in the meadows while her mother watched over her, encouraging her. He remembered when a light shone from the depths of those beautiful silver eyes of hers. But that was all he had left of the Aurora she had once been – memories.

Now, no light shone within the depths of her eyes. Aurora never laughed genuinely, and rarely smiled - save for being polite. Where once was a life-loving, innocent young soul remained nothing more than a darkness. Firewalker knew Aurora was dying slowly inside.

With every battle she fights, I can see her slipping farther and farther way from him and the rest of the world. But Aurora will find the strength to carry on.

She has great strength, Firewalker thought to himself.The only defense this life had given her to survive.

***