Prologue

It was one of those cold and dark nights you better stayed indoors and didn't care about what was going on outside. A heavy wind was blowing and raindrops pattered against the closed windows. Far away of the cities in their small house Fireball and April enjoyed the evening in front of the TV. For almost one year the outriders were gone and there was nothing to worry about anymore. Colt finally got the chance to realize his dream to have his own ranch. Together with Robin he moved to his home planet to start a new life. Saber still worked for Cavalry Command like April, but he started to meet Sincia more often. April and Fireball wondered when they would finally get married like Colt and Robin and themselves.

Chapter 1: Awakening

While humanity got used to peace something woke up from a long sleep.
Centuries ago it had come to the galaxy. It was almost as old as the universe and had seen the Origin of stars and galaxy as well as their destruction. Within the time new intelligent beings arised and destroyed itself again. But for an immortal being the circle of Life wasn't of any importance. Mortals were there to feed it. To give him the power IT needed to exist. But without them IT would exist anyways, IT would get its energy from the sun. Beside it was good that those mortals existed. How boring it was to feed from dying stars, from supernovas.
Much more interesting was to feed from mortals, crying mortals. You got most of their energy when they died in fear and terror. For a long time IT had slept, unknown by humanity. Humans, those silly creatures. When IT arrived the galaxy, the so called outriders reached the galaxy for the first time too. IT was hungry and the outriders had so much energy. At first IT fed from the outriders and used them to rob human space ships. That was how the first wars broke out. The outriders thought IT belonged to the humans and fought against the humans. Humans thought IT was somehow an outrider and fought against the outriders.
While both races fought against each other for years IT could search a home for itself.
On Yuma IT found its new home. Somewhere in the mountains. Here was the place IT would sleep for about 30 years. Then IT would come back to feed. Her child would wake up then too. They would grow up very fast cause they could feed from so many humans.
Fear and terror would rule humanity. And finally humans would see their true enemy. An enemy they couldn't beat up.

Chapter 2: Child of Darkness

But not everyone had a good evening. Not far away from the house April and Fireball were living in a young woman stood in the shadows of the woods. She was watching the house for one year. The Star Sheriffs won the final battle against the outriders, they went home to their families, forgot about what happened, started a new life, could spend their time with those they loved. Their life was full of joy and happiness. Her life was destroyed. There was nothing she could live for. All the people she loved were gone away.
No place was left where she could go. The only hope she had were her dreams and the voices from the sky. At first the voices only laughed about her, told her how stupid and silly she was, that nobody would ever like and forgive her. Later on she realized that those bad voices who tried to drive her insane came out of herself, it were only memories. Then she started to dream. In her dreams she could fly, nothing could hurt her, she was connected to those she loved, peace and freedom ruled the galaxy and she was a part of the new world in which outriders and humans belonged to each other. Deep inside her heart she felt that it was an idealistic dream, a dream that would never come true. But one part of herself didn't want to life such idealistic dreams anyway. After the incident on New Wichita she had discovered her true nature. As time flew by the little girl she once was vanished completely.
Humans and Outriders hurt her to much, treat her as a stupid girl who didn't know anything about the world. Okay outriders didn't want her and humans didn't want her. Let's see, she didn't need them too.
There was a time she felt lonely and weak. But when she discovered the strength inside her heart she changed. Her heart felt hungry.
Voices started to talk to her in her dreams. She couldn't see who talked to her but whoever it was wanted to help her.
Three months after Jesse died and the Star Sheriffs celebrated their victory over the outriders it happened for the first time. While walking alone through the woods near her home on Yuma, her body changed. Maybe it was the fault of this stupid guy who really thought it was a good idea to mug her. At first she was shocked when he came out of the darkness and attacked her with this knife. But then his eyes became wide, he started to stutter and tried to go away. But it was to late. She became bigger and bigger. Instead of two legs and two arms she had six long legs. The man cried while starring at the huge spider in front of him. Some time before there was a chance to escape for him but as soon as he saw her stomach he was lost. A strange light came out of her stomach and hypnotisized him. It was a bright light.
On the one hand it was wonderful but on the other hand it almost drove him crazy. The last thing he could think of was a terrible pain in his breast before he died. He was never found.
Months went by and within the time she became stronger. At first she thought those experiences in which she was killing people were nightmares and she tried to get rid of them. But the voices didn't stop talking to her and she got used to her secret life.
And now she was watching Aprils home again. Waiting for her revenge.
Soon it would begin.

Chapter 3: Snowcone

The rain had stopped for hours. April and Fireball went to bed already when the door bell rang. Tired Fireball stood up and went to see who came to visit them late at night. When opening the door he was surprised pretty much by seeing Snowcone.
"Eh...Hi. How did you know where I live?" he asked.
She smiled at him. "I knew. Are you alone?"
"No. April is upstairs. Mmmm.What do you want? Why did you come?"
"May I come in?" she asked.
Fireball nodded and he lead her to the dining room. "So, what's the matter?"
"I need to talk to you. We need talking. It's important." Suddenly the lights in the room went out and they stood in the darkness.
"Hey. What are you doing. That's not funny and I'm tired."
"Funny? You stupid little human. Tell me what it is like to have fun? We don't know. we forgot." Her voice had changed suddenly and Fireball was totally confused to hear the voice of a man, probably an outrider man. Oh no, he was completely helpless. His guns were upstairs. Fireball went back towards the window but in front of the window somebody was standing. The moonlight shined through the window and he could figure out that...No, it wasn't possible. "Nemesis" he whispered. "That's the little Sheriff who gave us so much problems. I see. One time you managed to escape, another time you won't. You stupid Sheriffs, killed the only one who could have helped you. Do you know that it was Jesse who saved your life. Of course not. Well, well and this time there's no Jesse to help you."
"You have no chance Nemesis. You can't...." but he was interrupted by Nemesis whose body started to change. "No, no...who...what are you?"
Fireball stuttered. He barely could control his fear. A strong arm grabbed Fireball and pulled him towards the creature. Fireball cried in pain when he felt the creatures teeth in his chest. Claws bored itself in his arms. Warm blood ran down his body. Suddenly he couldn't breath anymore. It was like being in a nightmare. He felt himself in the phantom chamber again. The air was gone and he had to choke. Jesse, help me he thought. But this time he was alone. From far away a voice was calling him when he lost consciousness.

Chapter 4: Jesse Blue

While Fireball was downstairs April wondered who did visit them late at night. When Fireball didn't come after some time she went to the stairs and tried to figure out what was going on downstairs. Perhaps her dad came home and he only didn't want to wake her up. Slowly she went downstairs when she heard a strange voice followed by Fireballs cry. As fast as she could she ran back to her room, fetched her gun, and went downstairs to the dining room.
When entering the dining room it was empty. The window was wide open and from outside a cold wind blew through it. She froze. What happened? Where was Fireball? Why did he cry?
Something terrible must have happened. April ran towards the window and looked outside. There was nothing. No sign of Fireball, a fight or ....what was that? For some seconds she meant to see a light at the woods. But then it was gone. Could it be that everything was just a dream or Fireball only played a bad trick at her? "Fireball!!" she shouted out of the window.
"Stop that Fireball. It's not funny really! Come out. I'm tired and I'm not in the mood for your silly jokes." The night stayed silent. "Dam it Fireball. When I have to search you will have to spend your night in the dining room and not in one bed with me. Better to come out!"
Angry she closed the window and made her way to the front door when the phone rang.
"April Eagle."
"Oh, I think it's the wrong number." An unknown voice said.
"Well, it's okay."
"I wanted to speak with John." He said.
"You're right it's the wrong number. Bye then."
"Wait."
"What's the matter? You see I'm pretty tired and not in the mood to talk to anybody."
"Hmmm...Pity. I would like talking to you."
"Well then you can call me tomorrow too. Why tonight. It's late."
"Cause I want now. You should better not quit the line." His voice sound angry now.
"So, why not. I'm not afraid of you. Are you playing "Scream" or what? I recognized your behaviour. I can tell you what. I'm not in the mood for jokes and I will hang up now. And if you want to annoy me and call me again I will get pretty mad and when I'm mad..."
"Oh, shut up April." He laughed at her and suddenly she meant to know this voice.
"Who are you?"
"Guess. You know me. Question one who I'm."
"Well, probably Fireball and now hang up and come back here."
"As you wish." He said and hung up. April grinned and went to the door. Shortly before she opened it the bell rang. Outside in the darkness somebody was laying on the floor. His body was naked, he was covered with blood and bites. April cried in terror and ran to him. Tears ran down her face. She sat down near him and touched his shoulder. He felt cold and dead.
"I promise, I will kill whoever did this to you. Why you? Why?" April cried and took Fireballs dead body into her arms. Suddenly a hand touched her shoulder. She turned immediately.
Not able to say something she starred in Jesses blue eyes. Jesse grinned. "That was just to easy. You shouldn't give your guns away. Now you're helpless."
"What...What do you want? How? You...You were dead."
Jesse nodded. "I'm dead and that's why you won't beat me up this time. Looks as if your race boy is dead. Gone for ever. Soon you will be mine."
"That's what you think!" Aprils eyes glowed angry. "I will never love you. You will be punished for what you did." But Jesse only laughed. Strong arms grabbed for her and he pulled her towards him.
"You bastard!" she shouted.
"Shhh...I didn't do that to him April. It was something else. Someone who will never hurt you again."
"Let me go!" she cried and tried to break free. But he carried her indoors and pushed her on the floor.
"If you are going to ..."
"What?" he grinned. "I'm just going to talk to you." His voice changed and April starred at Trista who was suddenly standing in front of her.
"How? No, that's not real. That's a dream."
"Yes April it's a dream. A nightmare. We never wake up. Every night the same things happen again and we can't break out. It's terrible and it's true. But we can fly. Do you feel it? Can you feel immortality April?"
"You're crazy."
"Yes I'm. From the time on you came into my life. You destroyed everything April. Did you really think I would be happy seeing that you can life such a nice life with a husband in an own house? Did you really think I could ever forget that day? And the day I heard that you killed Jesse?" Tears ran down her face.
"Trista." April stood up. "We can talk about that. I never meant to hurt you."
"Don't touch me." she cried. Her eyes starred at her in anger.
"Please Trista. We can talk like adults."
"Adults? Yeah, that you are. Always thought I was a stupid child. But I loved him! Truly loved him and it was you who killed him! He loved you and you killed him, never thought about his feelings. You are worst than him, do you know that." Suddenly her eyes changed. The glew yellow and red in the darkness of the night. From far away they heard the phone rang.
April look back and in the same moment it wasn't Trista anymore who was standing in front of her. She never saw such a horrible creature. It looked like a huge spider. It's stomach glew in a bright light, a wonderful light, the death lights. Her mind was thrown out into the darkness of the night towards those death lights. When she died she didn't feel anything. The death lights drove her insane and a part of her soul would be a part of the death lights from now on for ever. Trista smiled when seeing Aprils dead body. Fireball and April gave her so much energy. Humans life energy would help her grow strong. She smiled to herself. Then she changed into Nemesis again. It was much easier to carry both bodies upstairs in their bedroom in the form. When she went downstairs again the phone was still ringing.

Chapter 5: Annabel

"I don't understand that." Colt said while he and Robin were on their way to Yuma with Bronco Buster. He had to change the space ship a bit so that two people could sit in it.
"Some minutes ago the phone was taken and now nobody answers the phone. I hope nothing happened."
"Don't worry Colt. I'm sure it's nothing."
"Well, they will be surprised that we come over for a visit." Colt grinned.
Robin nodded but although shy tried to comfort Colt she also was a bit worried why nobody answered the phone. When they landed not far away from the house both realized that it looked somehow empty. A cold wind was blowing and there was a smell of death and destruction in the air. They reached the door when they were stopped by a familiar voice. Colt turned around immediately and starred at Annabel who was standing near the woods.
"Hey Colt. Nice to meet you again. Oh, is this your little wife. Ts ts...I still wonder why you married her and not me. Both of us know that you still love me." She smiled and started walking towards him.
"What?" Robin said. "You ..I never thought you would..."
"Please Robin. I...I even don't know her."
"Oh, look at her. Of course you know her. Don't touch. Just go away. Leave me alone." With those words she ran back to Bronco Buster. Tears in her eyes.
"Look what you have done!" Colt said angry.
"Look what You have done!" she said. From far away Colt heard Robin scream. Annabel laughed at him when he ran back to Bronco Buster.
"It's lunch time for my little daughter." IT laughed. Far away IT heard Colts and Robins screams and imagined the taste of their life energy. Now it was time to leave. ITs daughter started to fulfil her destiny and could life on her own. She didn't need IT anymore. But before leaving they had to talk. Trista had to know what she was. IT smelled the fear and terror which lay in the air. Screams of dying humans resound through the night. The outriders were gone and humanities true enemy was awake again. After almost 30 years of sleep IT came back to feed. Feed from the mortals who gave IT her energy. Trista was young but one time she would be as strong as herself and then the time would come up that she would be bored by immortality. Then after giving birth to a new creature and helping it to grow they would meet and the child would kill its mother. Humans would never understand that but it was the circle of life. It had always happened that way and IT felt tired and old. Soon time would come up to die, die of the hands of her own daughter. The only being which could ever destroy her.

Chapter 6: Trista

Once she had a dream. A dream of a life in peace and freedom with the man she loved. But her dream never came true and was destroyed by those she believed to be her friends. After a period of time in which she was near death and almost wanted to kill herself she found a new friend. The friend was she herself. At first she only heard those stupid voices. Voices from the moon which almost drove her insane. She even searched for the help of psychologists. But they failed. Nobody could help her. Then she started to hear voices, silent and warm voices who taught her how to morph, told her how to kill and most important how to feed from the mortals. But she never found out from wher