*** Well, hear it is! The next chapter; I hope you enjoy it. Sorry this took so long – if you want the next chapter out sooner, email me and let me know! That goes for people reading this on my website of FFNet, okay? ^_^ See ya!***

Evening Star

With the Coming of the Dawn

Chapter 5

* * *

A gasp broke the silence of a room consumed by the gray light of night not quite day. Aurora's eyes opened wide, her body tense and breathing erratic. Sitting up in bed, her mind a whirl, she sought to put herself at ease. Head in her hand, she forced her breathing to calm itself and for her mind to come to order. Slowly, it all came back to her.

The battle with Inferna, healing herself; Firewalker returning her to her dorm…One day, he has to tell me how he manages to get me in here, Aurora thought, looking around at her bleak dorm room.

The crystal… Looking around as if she expected to appear right there in front of her, Aurora felt her heart begin to pound.

It happens every time…so why is it always such a shock?

Well, why wouldn't it be? She thought sardonically, answering her own question.Who ever said remembering your past life would be easy?

Slipping out of bed, looking at her clock, Aurora realized she had easily two hours before her classes started for the day. Desperately needing a shower she walked into her bathroom, turning on straight hot water mixed with only a little bit of cold. Turning on the spray, she stepped beneath the steaming hot water, allowing its heat to wash through her. Slowly Aurora felt the tension leave her shoulders, and ever so slowly she allowed herself to remember…

It had been that way since the beginning. With the very first crystal, with every crystal Aurora found. Her past was revealed to her through her dreams. Dreams that always came the night succeeding the finding of a crystal. Dreams of magic in which Queen Kiaya came to her, helping her to understand the ways of the Sorceress and the ways of times past; speaking to her of the Sailor Soldiers of the Moon, their Princess and their Queen, of the Prince of Earth and the fate that befell them.

The dreams, however, were much more than her Queen standing by her side in the Realm of Dreams, as the worlds of the Moon Kingdom or Sun City play out before her. They were always much more than just a history lesson. The dreams took Aurora back to her life as the Star Princess. She relived her life through those dreams; relived every thought, every emotion.

Always though, there were gaps. Holes in her memory where the powers of the newly found crystal, containing her memories of the past, would skip ahead to other moments in her life leaving the missing pieces to be put into place by another crystal.

As it stood now, Aurora knew much about the history and ways of the people of the Sun and her Queen. Aurora also knew well the history of the Moon Kingdom, and had been told by her Queen of the Moon's Soldiers new lives on Earth.

Aurora found great peace in knowing the Moon Princess had finally been able to destroy Beryl.

Through the power of the crystals, Aurora had already relived much of her childhood and adolescence. Though, frustratingly, there was still so much that had not been revealed to her…still so much that was missing. Last night, the trails and tribulations she'd suffered through in order to become Sailor Star had been revealed to her. Along with the moment of her birth as a Sailor Soldier.

Years…it took me years of training…years of felling less, feeling like a failure…my powers were only revealed to me after I 'd lost all hope...when I'd had nothing more to lose…even then Fate saw it fit to push me beyond all limits, past any boundaries of strength I may have had.

Leaning her forehead up against the shower-tiled wall, feeling the water pound down on her shoulders, Aurora closed her eyes. There was something there, in the back of her mind that she just couldn't quite grasp. A memory, an image of someone…who'd been there during her first transformation into Sailor Star; someone who had always been there just out of sight, hiding within the shadows of her mind. Someone who'd been of great importance to her she knew…

But damnit! I just can't remember! Pushing herself away from the tiled wall, Aurora turned off the water. Stepping out of the shower, she roughly dried her hair with a towel, leaving her body to dry by the warmth of her dorm room. It's right there…I know, who ever the hell that person it is, they are the missing piece. If I could only remember who it is, I damn well know my past life would make a hell of a lot more sense!

Frustrated and angry, Aurora threw on an old pair of tight jeans with a white tank top, grabbing an old plaid button shirt on her way out the door. Putting the shirt over her top as she walked, Aurora went to the only place she knew would calm her down. The Stables. Having to relive her past, having to see how innocent she'd truly been then…how happy…always left Aurora on edge and frustrated.

Storming out of the dorm and walking with determination across the campus to the Stables, Aurora had only one thought. Firewalker, you'd better do your job well my Guardian, if I am to get through this day without killing someone first!

***

"Sailor Moon! Watch out!" shouted Sailor Mars as the creature's tail lashed out to strike at her. With a yelp, Sailor Moon leapt out of harms way.

"Thanks Raye," Sailor Moon sighed, coming to rest on the ground beside her guardian.

"Damnit Mercury, what is this thing!?" Mars snapped, wiping her head about to look at the Soldier of Water and Ice. Standing on the sidelines of battle, Sailor Mercury stood typing wildly way at her computer, trying desperately to gain some understanding of their enemy.

"Jupiter! Thunder! Crash!"

"Venus Crescent Beam! Smash!"

An animalistic screech pierced the air as the combined attacks hit their target, dark red blood seeping out from beneath shiny black scales.

"Dear gods," Mercury breathed as her computer flashed its concluding results across the screen.

Jupiter shot the mortified soldier a wary glance, "What is it Mercury?"

"This is no Cardian and it is no monster either," Mercury said in a calmness that belied the rising panic within her, "It is a creature, a living creature. Its young and its powerful."

"How powerful?" Sailor Venus's voice came from behind the creature.

"Very," was Mercury's only reply as she took her place beside the other Sailors.

The creature was young, obviously inexperienced, and the last attack thrown its way had left it scared and disorientated. Its moment of weakness allowed the Sailor Scouts to form a circle round it, surrounding it at all sides.

"That does not help me Mercury," Mars hissed as she kept her eyes trained on the creature. Mars shuddered despite herself. It was hideous, and female Mars reckoned. It appeared to be a hybrid cross between a dragon and a human. It had the general from of a human body, despite the dragon like tail and bat like wings. Its body was covered in ebony scales. Its hands and feet ended in gleaming, bent claws.

It wiped its head about, keeping its sights on the Scouts that stood in front of it. Tendrils from its orange colored mane lifted gently in the stark wind that blew through the empty, back alleyway in which itself and its captors stood. But Mercury's conclusions had not been miscalculated. The creature was young and had never seen battle, and had by this point, forgot the Sailors that stood behind it. When its tail brushed up against the legs of Sailor Jupiter and Venus, it made a violent gesture and spun round suddenly, hissing and baring its fang like teeth. Its glaring eyes of orange went from Jupiter to Venus and back again, sizing up, it seemed, the threat these Soldiers posed.

Looking at the creature before her with increasing concern, Jupiter spoke up, her tone reflecting Mars's irritation.

"Mercury, your rhymes and riddles had better start making sense soon, because this thing looks ready to strike. And I don't think it knows what it's doing. It could easily kill any one of us."

"I agree and apologize, Jupiter," Mercury replied, ever professional, "But you see, I don't know if I can make things any more clear. This creature is imbued with a power unlike anything I've ever come across. I have no idea the effect our powers will have on it – if any. It may be that not ever Sailor Moon's powers will be enough."

Throwing her hands up, Sailor Moon cried out, exasperated. "Then how are we supposed to defeat it!? Just stand around here all night in the cold, hoping it falls asleep before we do, so we can tie it up and release it out into the wild!?"

Putting her hands on her hips, Sailor Moon took a breath, preparing to continue her rant when a voice interrupted her.

"At least we can be thankful this thing didn't decide to run rampant in the main streets of Tokyo, Sailor Moon. Think then how many innocents would be harmed, and us, powerless to save them," Sailor Venus wisely commented as she looked around the desolate alley in which she stood. The night sky above was clear yet cold, and being as far away from the main streetlights as they were, the stars light could be seen shinning bright. A full moon hung low in the sky, telling Venus, with the lightening of the sky, that dawn was near. To Venus, it was beautiful. But when another cool wind blew, despite herself, Venus couldn't help but shiver.

Atop a near by building, another figure couldn't help but shiver - though not from cold. Sailor Star looked down on the scene below in mute terror.

Now what will you do, Aurora? Sailor Moon cannot be the savior of this battle – nor can be her Moonlight Knight. They are not strong enough.

Irritated at being left no other options, Sailor Star lashed out at her Guardian.

"Of that, I am well aware, Firewalker! You needn't state the obvious!"

Then what will you do? Firewalker prompted, his tone carefully masked to hide his elation. In truth, he'd long since prayed for an instance such as this, when his Sailor Star would be force to fight along side the Sailor Scouts of the Moon. For so long he'd wanted her to allow them into her life, but she'd fought him and kept herself secret from them. Now, he knew, she had no other choice but to reveal herself - if she were to honor her duties as a Guardian of Royalty.

"I will do the only thing I can do," Sailor Star growled, her voice low, knowing full well that her Guardian was gloating in his own, discreet way. He'd finally have his way. She would reveal herself for the sake of the Princess of the Moon and her Sailor Scouts.

And what is that? Firewalker pushed her still. He felt it was important that she speak the words. For, one grace Aurora had yet to learn was when to admit defeat.

She however, would not speak the words of defeat on that night. Eyes narrowed to silvery slits, Sailor Star glowered at Firewalker.

"Bow! To me!" Star commanded sternly, as she prepared herself for the task ahead. With her Bow and quiver of Arrows materializing around her, Sailor Star looked down to the street below.

"AAAAAAHHHHhhhhh!!" Sailor Moon let out an ungodly screech as the creature, until now restlessly moving amidst the circle of Scouts, lunged at its nearest enemy.

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mars cried out, reacting swiftly to her Princess's plight. Pushing Sailor Moon out of harm's way, Mars was struck down by the creature, landing hard on her back on the dark, filthy concrete with the creature above her snarling, pinning her down.

Mars moaned loudly. The massive weight of the muscular being was crushing her, driving her body into the hard ground beneath them. The claws of one arm tore into the flesh of Mars' right shoulder, provoking an even louder cry from the Priestess of Fire as her blood ran in rivulets along the city's street. The creature slowly raised its arm, claws extended.

"MARS!" Four very terrified Scouts called out.

"Mars, hold on!" Jupiter bellowed out to her friend, looking to Venus in mute agreement as they both began to summon their powers.

Then time stopped - all stood still.

For there on the ground, not centimeters away from Mars' head, burned an arrow, engulfed in flames of silver. The Scouts stood wide eyed and barely breathing, as their minds took in that their friend's life had nearly been ended by a single blow from a single, silver arrow. To them, it was Mars who'd been the target of the assault from an unknown assailant – but that was not the case. And the creature knew it.

Turning its head slowly to look up at the rooftop behind itself, the creature snarled. To the sickened surprise of the Scouts, as they stood alert in attempts to determine what was going to happen next, the creature spoke.

Its voice sounded like that of a desert's floor, dry and cracked – void of moisture. It was as if it had never spoken before, its reptilian make adding an underlying hiss to its speech. Its words were almost undistinguishable. What sounds it did make were so raw and demonic it sickened those that heard it, raking the flames of their fury to burn even greater.

"Andwho are you!?" It hissed out in loathing.

"Huh?" A confused Sailor Moon looked around, trying to find out who, or what, this creature was talking to.

"Look!" Sailor Mercury's voice came, pointing in awe to a silhouette atop a near by building.

Even Sailor Mars struggled to look in the direction Mercury had pointed. Though she could not see, given the creature, Mars did not mistake the gasps of uncertainty she heard emanating from her fellow Scouts. For there, precariously perched on a building's ledge, was the figure of a young woman.

She stood demurely, her head bowed, arms at her sides. She stood with her legs close together, one ever so slightly bent. Every detail of her was shrouded in shadow – save for a jewel, a ruby red gem, positioned on her forehead. The gem lit up, catching the pre-dawn's light, glowing as if it were a star from the very heavens themselves.

"What…?" Sailor Moon trailed off as she studied the living shadow before her.

Then, the shadow spoke.

"I am a guiding point of light in a Sea of Darkness; Guardian to a Queen of a City long since destroyed…"

In one sudden movement, the young woman leapt from her place on the building's ledge. Quietly, gracefully, she fell to the ground below. She touched down, and at that very moment, Dawn broke. It made for a glorious sight. The young woman's uniform lit up like thousands of shinning stars, ruby red and silver, as it caught the dawn's light. Her pale gold hair was lifted up around her face, carried softly by the winds. Her eyes, sharp and true, flashed a brilliant silver as she regarded those before her. Standing proud and strong, she finished her 'introduction'.

"I am Sailor Star! And For the Honor of Love, and By the Power of the Sun, You Will be Destroyed!"