Chapter 11: The Power of Fire
Ryo was in the courtyard, practicing his katana moves. The sweat was pouring down his face and his torso glistened in the sunlight from the sweat covering his torso. White Blaze was lying off to the side, watching him closely. If someone were to look at the tiger, they could swear that he was grinning at the young man practicing his fight moves.
Rei was sweeping the temple floors when she saw Ryo practicing. A small smirk appeared on her face as she leaned against the rail and watched him. Ever since the fire, it was as if he had changed. He would practice his forms and katana moves before, but ever since that night he took his practicing seriously.
Making her way down the stairs, she grabbed a katana off the wall. Ryo swung around with a shout when their katanas clashed together. She smirked at him and Ryo smiled back. "You've been practicing for over an hour, think it's time to call it quits for the day?" she asked with a smile.
"Think so?" he answered as he put their weapons up.
Rei felt her cheeks flushed as she watched the muscles in his back and shoulders flex as he was putting their weapons away. He turned around, his arms going around her waist and pulled her close. She let out a gasp and just smirked at him. "You're getting my robes sweaty," she told him as she lightly pushed him.
"No one's keeping you here," he quipped.
She smirked a little as he leaned forward and kissed her lightly. Rei kissed him back, her arms moving up and around his neck. Suddenly, White Blaze stood up with a growl. "What is it, Blaze?" Ryo asked. They heard cop cars approaching the temple, making Ryo frown as he grabbed his discarded shirt, pulling it on.
Walking to the front of the temple, he saw three officers approaching. "Can I help you this morning, officers?" he asked.
"Are you in charge of this temple, boy?" the officer asked.
"No sir, that would be my guardian, Master Hino," Ryo replied.
The two teenagers saw one of the officers taken an interest in White Blaze, who was standing behind Ryo. "Do you have the correct licenses to own that animal?" he asked.
"Yes we do officers, we most certainly have the licenses to have White Blaze here," Master Hino answered as he stood in front of Ryo and Rei, "What can I do for you this morning?"
"Master Hino, have you been aware that two city buses have disappeared from in front of your temple the last few days?" the first officer asked.
"I am well aware, such a tragedy really," Master Hino replied sadly.
Ryo wrapped his arm around Rei's waist, pulling her a little closer to him. The officers continued to ask the temple master questions about the disappearances before they finally left. "I don't like this," Ryo said suddenly.
"What do you mean?" Rei asked.
"Something's up, how can two buses disappear into thin air?" Ryo asked.
Rei leaned against her boyfriend, frowning and also curious to how all of this happened.
Later on, Ryo was doing his chore when he saw the new worker, Jed, handing out charms to people who had heard they were good luck. Frowning, he looked over at Rei to see her entering her meditation room. "How would you like a charm, Ryo?" Jed asked from behind, making the teenager turn around
"No thanks, I make my own luck," Ryo replied.
Jed stared at the young man as he walked away. "Come on, Blaze," he called to his tiger. White Blaze was about to walk away when he stopped and growled at the man. "White Blaze, come on boy," Ryo called to him. The white tiger seemed to glare before he turn and walked away.
After finishing his chores, Ryo saw Serena, Ami, and their friend Molly walking up to the temple. It was obvious that Master Hino had thought they were someone else the way he was talking to them. "Grandpa, why don't you ever wear your glasses?" Rei demanded.
"Because I don't need them," Master Hino replied.
Ryo just chuckled lightly. "Master Hino, it's Serena and Ami," he told the old man.
"What?" the old man asked confused
Ryo just smirked, shaking his head slowly when he saw his girlfriend's frown turn into a scowl. "There are evil forces at work around here," she said suddenly.
"What?" he asked.
Rei looked around, she could feel an evil presence at the temple. Ryo looked over at their new caretaker, Jed, to see him talking to the girls. He gripped Rei's hand, making her stop. "What?" she asked.
"I have my suspicions, but we have to wait," he replied.
"People are thinking our home is dangerous, Ryo," Rei told him angrily.
"I know, but we don't want to cause a scene, the real perpetrator might be watching," he answered.
Rei gripped his hand tightly, letting out a deep breath as she looked over at Serena. "Hey you guys," Rowen called out as he and Cye walked up the hill, "Good thing we ran into Molly, we were looking all over for you."
"Sorry, we were coming for some good luck charms," Serena commented.
Rowen's arms immediately went around Serena's waist. "How much luck do you need?" he asked softly with a smirk, making her lean back into his chest.
"So how are things going around here?" Ami asked, looking at Ryo and Rei.
"Weird, with all these people disappearing the cops keep wanting to come up here and investigate. They want to see if we have anything to do with it," Rei replied as Ryo wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"Why would they suspect you guys?" Cye asked, "You guys don't do anything."
"It's the fact that the buses keep disappearing from in front of our temple," Rei replied
Ryo let out a sigh. "I think they have come up to the door about four times today alone to ask questions," he told his friends. Rowen held his girlfriend's hand, looking down at her as she looked up at him.
"I think we should investigate," he answered.
They nodded in agreement. "We'll hang back here, I'm starting to feel the dark force Rei's talking about," Ryo told them.
"Alright," Cye answered, taking Ami's hand as they were leaving the temple.
They made their way away from the temple, Rowen let Serena's hand go and his arm went around her waist. "Hey, Rowen, Serena, we're going to have a study night at our house, do you want to come?" Ami asked.
"Uh…" Serena started to say.
"I gotta get home you guys, but thanks," Rowen replied.
"Your dad again?" Cye asked
The Warrior of Strata gave the Warrior of Torrent a sharp glare. Serena frowned, resting her hand on his chest "Rowen…" she murmured.
"Let's just go, please?" he asked as he took Serena's hand and walked over to the bus stop.
They waited by the bus stop when Rowen noticed something. All the girls standing in line were wearing the charms being sold at the temple. "Hey, Rowen, what's up?" Cye asked.
"Look, all these people are lethargic," Rowen replied, "They look like they're about to drop."
Ami saw the girls and let out a soft gasp. "You're right!" she agreed. Cye looked at the bus, his eyes growing wide.
"You girls need to stay here," he said suddenly.
"What are you going to do?" Ami asked.
Cye and Rowen pushed the girls back as they shoved their girlfriends back. "CYE!" Ami called out with wide eyes.
"ROWEN WAIT!" Serena shouted.
Rowen and Cye ran onto the bus. "Alright, buddy, your ride ends here!" Cye told the driver.
"Have a seat," the driver said cackling as he closed the door.
"No way, whoever you are this is over," Rowen answered as he grabbed the driver' shoulder
Cye's eyes grew wide when Rowen was thrown to the back of the bus. "ROWEN!" he shouted as the bus lifted off the ground.
Serena and Ami gasped. "Girls, you have to go after it!" Luna told the girls.
"CYE!" Ami shouted, chasing the bus.
Serena got up off the ground. "COME BACK!" she shouted at the bus as it disappeared through a black hole.
"NO!" Ami shouted with tears in her eyes.
"This can't be happening!" Serena said with a sob as she dropped to her knees, "ROWEN!"
"Serena, you got to pull yourself together and find Ryo," Luna scolded her.
"Right," Serena answered.
She pulled herself up off the ground, running towards the temple.
Ryo was staring at Jed when Serena ran into the temple. "RYO!" Serena shouted, "RYO! The bus disappeared with Rowen and Cye on it!"
'What?" Ryo asked with wide eyes.
"They shoved us away before we could get on the bus and they were taken into a big, black hole," Ami explained.
Ryo ran out of the temple with Rei. They could see the large black hole and Ryo saw a wand lying on the ground. "What's that?" he asked. Rei reached down, picking the wand up from the ground.
"Rei, you have to shout "Mars Power"," Luna told her.
"You talk?!" Rei exclaimed.
"We have to hurry," Ryo answered.
He tossed his orb into the air. "ARMOR OF WILDFIRE!" he shouted as his sub armor appeared on his body.
"MARS POWER!" Rei shouted when she saw her boyfriend transform.
They both ran after a bus with Serena right behind them. "MOON PRISM POWER!" she shouted. They ran onto the bus.
"Alright, this bus isn't going anywhere!" Ryo snapped.
The minion sneered at the three teenagers on the bus. "Stupid brats!" she spat.
"REI!" Ryo shouted, covering his girlfriend as the minion threw a bolt of electricity at them.
Rei gasped when Ryo suddenly fell to his knees groaning in pain. "Ryo!" she exclaimed as the bus started taking off.
"I'll stop her," Sailor Moon answered.
"No! If you stop her now, then Rowen and Cye will be trapped in their dimension," Ryo pointed out, holding his side.
Sailor Moon frowned, but knew he was right as they were flying into the portal. "Ryo, what is going on?!" Rei demanded.
"I'll explain later," Ryo answered, "Just trust me on this okay?"
Rei gripped his shoulder as they went through the portal. "Where's Rowen?" Sailor Moon asked with wide eyes when she saw all the buses.
"SAILOR MOON, WATCH IT!" Ryo shouted, shoving her as the minion went to attack her.
The minion grabbed Ryo around the middle, shoving him right out the back window. "RYO!" Rei shouted as she ran off the bus. The minion snarled as she tried to snap her teeth at Ryo's face.
"Take a breath mint!" he snapped before he kicked her off him, "ARMOR OF WILDFIRE! DAO JIN!"
Rei's eyes grew wide when she saw her boyfriend transform into armor. "What the heck is going on here?!" she demanded. The minion looked at her and sneered.
"Don't you touch her!" Ryo snapped as he removed his katanas from their sheaths on his back.
The minion cackled before using her lightning speed and grabbed Rei around the neck. "No!" he exclaimed. Rei winced as the minion gripped her tightly. "Let her go!" Ryo snapped.
"MOON TIARA MAGIC!" Sailor Moon shouted.
"No, don't! You could hit Rei!" Ryo called out.
Sailor Moon didn't answer instead she just threw the disc at the minion. Her distraction worked, as the minion tried to escape the disc she dropped Rei and Ryo rushed over to her. "Rei, you okay?" he asked.
"You have more than just explaining to do!" she snapped, "You've kept this from me all this time?!"
"I couldn't say anything until the time was right," he answered.
"Rei, you have to use your wand and call you "Mars Power"!" Luna insisted.
Rei looked at the wand in her hand. "I've just about had enough of this," she snapped. She stood up with the wand. "MARS POWER!" she shouted. Ryo watched with a grin as his girlfriend transformed into Sailor Mars right in front of him. Sailor Mars swung around and Ryo stood up.
"Together?" he asked.
"You know it," she replied.
Ryo smirked as he connected his katanas together before he leapt into the air. "FLARE!" he shouted.
"MARS!" Sailor Mars shouted.
"UP!"
"FIRE!"
"NOW!"
"IGNITE!"
They watched as the minion was destroyed by their powers. "SAILOR MOON!" a voice shouted.
"Rowen!" Sailor Moon gasped when she saw her boyfriend.
She rushed over, throwing her arms around him as he lifted her up and swung her around. "Ryo, are you guys okay? Where's Ami?" Cye asked as he rushed up. Rowen set her down, kissing her shoulder.
"She's back in our dimension," Sailor Moon replied.
"We need to get out of here," Rowen told them when they saw the portal closing.
"The black hole is closing!" Sailor Mars exclaimed.
Suddenly, a blue light came through and started holding the portal open. "It's Ami!" Cye gasped.
"She's using her power of Mercury to keep the portal open!" Luna exclaimed.
"Come on you guys let's go," Rowen answered as he ran onto the bus.
They followed him and they were able to get their bus and the other victims of the Negaverse were brought back home.
Sailor Mars now Rei again watched as Cye got off the bus. "AMI!" he shouted for his girlfriend.
"Cye!" Ami gasped as she stood up.
She watched as the normally shy British man lifted his girlfriend up into his arms, swinging her around as her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "You know, he didn't wanna lie to you," Rowen said suddenly, making her look up.
"What?" she asked.
"Ryo, he didn't want to keep his life as a Ronin Warrior a secret from you. He wanted to tell you, but we have been told after we each received our powers to not reveal them to you girls, because you finding out our secrets too soon could be dangerous," Rowen explained.
She watched as Ryo got off one of the other buses and White Blaze rushed up to greet his master who embraced him gladly. "He loves you, Rei, and you know Ryo has a hard time trusting people let alone loving them," Rowen added. Rei frowned, knowing Rowen was right. Ryo had a hard time giving his trust. Not only that he was severely protective of her but it made her realize why he wouldn't tell her his secret. It was to keep her safe from Queen Beryl and her minions in case he was ever caught.
Ryo was scratching White Blaze's neck with a smile on his face. "Ryo?" Rei called out. He looked up and saw his girlfriend walking over to him. Before he could say anything, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Ryo immediately hugged her back, holding her to him. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I'm sorry," he answered.
He looked over at Rowen and Cye, seeing that his friends knew what he was asking. No, the girls didn't remember their past lives. His heart broke a little, his Rei didn't remember their life together in the Moon Kingdom. It was only a matter of time before the girls remembered their lives and they could stop the evil Queen for good.
Author's Note: I'm so sorry for the long delay of this story. I had moved and had complications after the move, but now I'm back. I hope you liked this chapter and will enjoy more that are to come.
