Note: I do not own Ronin Warriors. In chapter stories I may forget to put it on all besides the first chapter but it still applys. Sorry, this happened on Ninja Family Problems and I just am to lazy to fix it right now. All character names that are not part of the two original series belong to me!- Alkvingiel

Part 4

The Beginning of the End

"So um… since when could Ryo call you by your real name?" Lyta questioned.

"Since he asked if he could and I told him yes." Rei replied.

"Right." Lyta said winking at her. Rei blushed.

"Anyway… as you all know we are the Sailor Scouts, here to help the Ronin Warriors whoever they may be. The Dynasty Empire has risen again; the ruler is a woman named Empress Suzako. After spending many hours reading fire I've found out that Suzako is after one of the Ronin's, the one that is called Wildfire. He seems very important to her plans so we must find and protect him. All the while protecting our Princess in her search to find her Prince." Rei explained and they all nodded. Artimus and Luna, Serena and Mina's cats sat listening.

"Okay, girls lay your power stars down with Serena's compact in the middle. Sit in a circle and hold hands, then let all your power flow to each other. In doing this we will make a special bond between you girls." Luna told them. They did what she said. Their circle went Serena, Keiko, Ami, Mina, Lyta and Rei. After 15 minutes the connection was made and they all went home knowing that the battle would be soon and they would have to get ready. 2 weeks passed quickly with no sign of Suzako and the school dance was 1 day away. All the girls had gone out and bought their dresses. Ami had asked Rowen, Mina had asked Cye (their date went great), Keiko asked Sage, Lyta asked Kento but Serena didn't ask anyone. She decided to go alone, and Rei…well… she just couldn't get the courage up to ask Ryo. He'd returned to school a week before and by rumor and from what she asked Sage, Ryo had been turning down girls left and right. The night of the dance came with the girls waiting outside the school's doors as the guys arrived. Rei wasn't with them so Ryo walked through the crowded room toward an open balcony door. Everyone was to busy dancing to be out on the balcony and this made Ryo happy. Right now he wanted to be alone.

Ryo turned as the first slow song of the night played. He could see the guys dancing with their dates, they were all close in case something happened and he needed them. Ryo looked down smiling; he shook his head and turned back around. The balcony reached 15 feet over the school's rather large garden. He leaned on the railing looking down. The full moon lit everything up like a night sun. Something moved behind him and he turned. Rei was standing there in a beautiful midnight blue dress that reached her ankles. Her purple eyes were highlighted in silver and her hair was pulled back with little sparkles in it. The dress had no shoulder straps; it had two pieces of silk that fell down her sides.

Slowly she walked up to him and whispered, "I'm sorry I didn't ask you. I just was so afraid you'd tell me no like all the others."

"Baka, I was turning all those girls down so I could say yes to you." Ryo smiled. She smiled to and wrapped her arms around his waist. He did the same and they slowly started to rock back and forth to the sweet melody to the music. Sage whispered something to Keiko and they both looked at the couple and smiled. For the rest of the night Ryo and Rei danced out on the balcony. Ryo thought nothing could go wrong but he would soon be proven wrong.

"Okay everyone pick your partners for the last dance of the night. It's also the last slow one." The DJ announced. Ryo recognized the melody and he held Rei tighter. Rei felt something wet fall onto her cheek. At first she thought it was rain, after all they were outside but she looked up and saw tears streaming down Ryo's cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Rei thought and was just about to ask. But she got lost in the words of the melody.

Everybody's got something

They had to leave behind

One regret from yesterday

That just seems to grow with time

There's no use looking back or wondering

How it could be now or might have been

All this I know but still I can't find ways

To let you go

I never had a dream come true

Till the day that I found you

Even through I pretend that I've moved on

You'll always be my baby

I never found the words to say

You're the one I think about each day

And I know no matter

Where life takes me to

A part of me will always be with you.

Somewhere in my memory

I've lost all sense of time

And tomorrow can never be

Cause yesterday is all that fills my mind

I never had a dream come true

Till the day that I found you

Even through I pretend that I've moved on

You'll always be my baby

I never found the words to say

You're the one I think about each day

And I know no matter

Where life takes me to

A part of me will always be with you.

You'll always be the dream

That fills my head

Yes you will

Say you will

You know you will, oh baby

You'll always be the one I know

I'll never forget

It's no use looking back or wondering

Because love is a strange and funny thing

No matter how I try and try

I just can't say goodbye, no, no, no

I never had a dream come true

Till the day that I found you

Even through I pretend that I moved on

You'll always be my baby

I never found the words to say

You're the one I think about each day

And I know no matter

Where life takes me to

A part of me will always be with you.

The last words repeated over and over again in her mind. And then suddenly black flames shot up around them. "Ryo!" Rei screamed hugging tightly to him. Ryo could hear the guys and girls on the outside of the flames yelling their names. The flames grew higher and so did the heat. Ryo could fill a force trying to pull Rei away but they held on. And just like his dream soon they were only holding on by their fingers.

"I'll never let go." Ryo whispered his eyes not letting go of hers. And then with one last tug of power their fingers slipped.

"Rekka!" Rei screamed. She was pulled through the flames and landed on the other side without a scratch just really scared.

"Rei! Are you okay?!" Lyta yelled holding her friend up.

"Ryo! Where's Ryo?" Rei asked panicked.

"Ryo! Come on! Can you jump out?! Please Ryo!" Sage begged. Ryo reached his hand out to touch the fire but it started to burn and he jerked it back.

"Sage I can't get out. The fire is going to burn me! It's the first fire that ever tried to burn me! I'm sorry." Ryo told him through his mind.

"No Ryo! You can't give up! Try again!" Sage pleaded. Suddenly the fire disappeared and Ryo with it.

A pricing cry went up through the night that of Ryo's friends and Rei. Everyone at the dance was stared spellbound at the sight they had just witnessed.

"Come on you guys…we need to get out of here. Hurry up now I'll take care of them." Keiko whispered as she ushered the others out the door. She then turned and cast a memory spell on those watching them to erase what they had just seen. And then she ran out the door following the others.

"Girls get in the car and Kento will drive you to the house. We have much to talk about when we get there." Sage explained.

"Right." They replied and got in the car leaving Sage, Cye and Rowen alone. After the car was out of sight they transformed into their sub-armor and started running at super high speed toward the house. They got there just minutes before Kento and the girls pulled up and jumped out of the car. And had only enough time to switch back to normal clothes before the girls saw them. They all ran inside surprising Mea who was reading a book on the couch.

"What are you doing back already?!?!" Mea yelled and then looked at them. Ryo wasn't there. "Oh my god! What happened? Where's Ryo?" She questioned.

"Mea, I think Suzako has him. He and Rei were dancing out on the balcony when suddenly this black fire shot up around them. Rei was thrown out of the fire but then as Ryo tried to get out the fire closed in and disappeared taking Ryo with it." Sage explained. Rei was sitting on the couch her face in her hands. But she raised it when she heard Sage say the name.

"How do you know of Suzako?" Rei questioned standing. They each looked at her.

"How do you?" Rowen asked crossing his arms.

"We know because we are the Sailor Scouts here to aid the Ronin Warriors against Empress Suzako." Keiko answered. The guys and Mea looked at each other and then back at the girls.

"It is very important that we find the warrior of Wildfire and protect him. Empress Suzako wants and needs him very badly for her plans." Rei insisted.

"Maybe there's something you should see." Cye whispered going over to the bookshelf. He got a old looking book and sat on the couch urging Rei to sit next to him and for the other girls to gather around him. They did and watched as he opened the book. The first picture was of Sage leaning up against a tree his jacket slung over his shoulder. The caption told of Sage's life summed up and the next picture got gasps from the girls. It was a picture of Sage in his armor. Under the picture read, Sage Date bearer of the Halo armor. The next 6 pgs. were the same reading under the armor pictures of Cye, Kento and Rowen. The 5 pages after that were of Anubis, Sekhmet, Kale, Dais and Talpa. Then the last one was of Ryo. Rei took the book from Cye and sat it in her lap looking at it. In the picture Ryo was sitting in the window seat of his room, his knees brought up to his chest a distant look in his eyes. That's the way the other pictures were to, he always had a distant look in his eyes. Then she came to the page of Ryo in his armor.

"No…" Rei gasped as she read the words under his picture. Ryo Sanada bearer of both the Wildfire and Inferno armors. There were four pictures, 2 were of just him in his armor and the others were of when he was using the powers of the armor. Rei looked up at the guys. "So that's why the fire took him?" Rei questioned. The guys nodded.

"Wait a minute… I need more proof than just pictures. You can do anything with pictures and computers these days." Keiko insisted. The guys looked at each other and then in a flash of light they appeared in their sub armor. "Okay. That's good enough." Keiko said. The guys smiled.

"Alright now what about you. Not that we don't trust you or anything, but we need more than your word that you are the Sailor Scouts." Mea told them. They nodded and pulled out their star crystals.

"Moon Prism Power!" Serena yelled. And then the others followed. Rei with Mars, Ami with Mercury, Lyta with Jupiter, Mina with Venus and Keiko with Pluto. Mea nodded and looked at Sage. Since Ryo was gone everyone looked to Sage for orders.

"We need a plan. Rushing won't help since we don't know where he has been taken." Sage told them. Rei felt her fire pendent glowing and burning with a growing heat. She took it off and looked at it. Without her moving her wrist the pendent was swinging in every direction as if it were looking for something.

"Do you have a map of the whole area?" Rei questioned holding her pendent. Rowen nodded and pulled a map out spreading it out on the table. Rei sat and held her pendent over the map, it swung and glowed it's brightest when it was over a area called The Flames of the Underworld.

"Why is it called that?" Keiko asked.

"It's called that because magma often flares up from the ground. And then everything catches on fire. There are many mountains and tall hills around so the fires don't often spread. I perfect place to hide. But without Ryo we can't get anywhere near the fires. He's the only one who could ever protect us from that heat." Rowen explained.

"My power is fire also maybe I could help." Rei suggested.

"Can you control both heat and fire?" Cye asked.

"Um…no. Never mind." Rei replied.

"It's okay. We'll figure out another way." Lyta assured her. Meanwhile at The Flames of the Underworld at Suzako's castle. A strikingly beautiful woman sat on a throne a small crown sitting on her head. Two guards stood by their Empress both under spells much like the Warlords with Talpa. Suzako rose and stood by the window looking out at the flames. Her silver hair fell to her ankles, this hair only served to bring out her cold gold eyes. Slanting like cat eyes they brought out her high cheekbones and delicate lips. She wore a light blue dress that looked like something out of medieval times. And a black cloak that set off her eyes and hair even more. She turned and looked at Ryo who was laying on the floor in front of her fountain still out of it from the dark fire. She went and sat on her throne again watching Ryo sleep.

"Soon he will wake. But… my he does look very peaceful when he's asleep." Suzako thought leaning her left cheek on a graceful left hand. Ryo slowly started to stir and Suzako smiled as she saw his eyes open slowly.

"Uh…where am I?" Ryo asked slowly sitting up.

"Welcome to my palace warrior of Wildfire. I have waited to meet you for awhile now. I am Empress Suzako." Suzako introduced herself. Ryo stared at her; she was taken in by his strong blue eyes. He jumped up looking around and immediately two guards appeared and held him.

"What the hell! How did I get here! Why did you bring me here bitch!" Ryo screamed.

"You would do good to watch yourself here Wildfire. Remember your on my turf now." Suzako warned. Ryo shut his mouth but still stared coldly at her. "Now, I need you for my plan that is why I brought you here. You will help me yes?" Suzako smiled.

"No I won't! And what have you done with Rei! If you've hurt her I'll…" Ryo's threats stopped when one of the guards held a sword to his neck.

"You need not worry about the girl. I have no use for her. But you should worry about your own life if you don't clam down." Suzako told him.

"I do not care about my life. If I die, I die. I do not care. If you want I can move my head forward now and slit my own throat." Ryo declared. Suzako stayed quiet for a moment. The look in his eyes told her that he would and wouldn't regret it.

"Take him to the dungeons, I will see him later. Toshin put him under level 10." Suzako commanded. The guards pulled him away to the dungeons. "I like him. He's strong." Suzako thought with a smile. Later that night Ryo stood in his cell looking out the one long window at the fires. His wrist and ankles were very sore, when the guards had taken him from Suzako's throne room he hadn't known what level 10 meant. But he soon found out… the guards brought him to a dungeon with many cells and four silver ropes in the middle. The guards put a rope on each of his wrists and ankles. Ryo thought that they were just going to whip him or something but he was wrong. Toshin walked over to a handle on the wall and pulled down. Ryo gritted his teeth tightly as shocking energy volts entered his body.

"Please…" The whisper was so low that Ryo almost didn't hear it from the pain he felt. But he did and slowly looked up at Toshin, it was the first time Ryo had taken a good look at this man. He had dark brown hair much like Anubis's, a strong build but what got him was his eyes. The eyes were kind and pleading not cold and ruthless like the former warlords had been. "Please… just cry out. That's when I am allowed to stop it. Please just cry out." Toshin begged.

"Oh how I want to…but I am not that weak. No, I can't. Not until I die." Ryo replied quietly. Toshin looked down as if blinking back tears. Toshin then nodded and pushed the handle up so that the shocking stopped. He hurried over and caught Ryo as he fell. "Why?" Ryo asked.

"She would not be pleased if you died. Yet anyway…" Toshin answered as he helped him to a cell.

"You have a good heart. And I thank you for it." Ryo whispered as Toshin left the cell and locked it. Now he heard someone walk up outside of his cell stop and unlock the door. Ryo did not turn around.

"My you do not have any manners, do you?" Suzako asked.

"Only when the person deserves it. And I don't see anyone like that here." Ryo replied.

"Why you little…after all I've done for you…" Suzako started but Ryo cut her off.

"What you've done for me! Ha! First you play with my mind. Sending me visions of whats to come; Second you spy on me and; Third you take me away from my family! What you have done for me indeed." Ryo said not turning around. He could she her image perfectly in the glass. Her cold eyes blazing with anger.

"Family? What family? I know you Wildfire. You have no family." Suzako stated.

"Blood no but blood is thicker than water and love is thicker than blood. So those I love are my family and I will do anything to protect them." Ryo told her. She stayed quiet. "As for this place. I'm leaving goodbye Suzako there's nothing you can do to stop me." Ryo whispered and then turned and punched out the glass of the window. He waved as he fell down…down into the burning flames.

"No! You won't live! You'll die!" Suzako screamed running to the window.

"Not in this life time! Armor of Wildfire! Dao Jin!" Ryo yelled and transformed into his armor just before falling into the hot lava.

"He's right that heat and fire will only power him up. Good." Suzako smiled. Ryo swam through the lava to the edge and climbed out. He ran now, running as fast as he could back to the house ignoring the pain from his ankles, wrists and left leg. Man that lava was hot, a flare had burned it just before he'd said "Jin". Finally after an hour of running he couldn't take it anymore and leaned up against a tree.

"God this hurts. White Blaze I need you." Ryo thought. Within ten minutes White Blaze was at his side leaning down so he could get on without putting any weight on his left leg. White Blaze ran as fast as he could trying not to hurt Ryo's leg more than it was. Mea and Sage were waiting outside when they heard White Blaze's roar of trouble. And then he came running out of the woods with Ryo on his back. They ran up to White Blaze and helped Ryo off.

"Oh! Ryo your leg! Sage let's get him inside and fix it up. Then we'll find out what happened." Mea told him as she and Sage helped Ryo to the couch. Cye stood when he heard them come in and ran to get the first aid kit when he saw Ryo's leg. Mea use the scissors in the kit to cut his pants leg off. "Sage hurry and go get me some ice. A whole bowl full." Sage nodded and ran to the kitchen. Rei was coming down the stairs when Sage ran by with the bowl of ice.

"What's going on?" Rei wondered. Then she walked by the couch and saw Ryo. "Ryo! Oh my God! How did you get away?" Rei asked rushing around to him.

"Tell…you…later…shit." Ryo whispered and then blacked out.

"Ryo! Ryo! Wake up!" Rei cried.

"It's okay. He just blacked out from the pain. It only looks like a 1st degree burn at the worst part and I can treat that here. Now Sage slowly put that ice in a cold rag and hold it in place. Then do the same for the rest of his leg." Mea explained and Sage did as he was told. Rei sat and held Ryo's hand the whole time until Mea wrapped the last part of his leg. Sage got a blanket to cover Ryo with then both he and Mea left the room to give Rei some time alone with Ryo's sleeping form.

"Isn't it sweet…oh but Wildfire…isn't it funny how your friends will be your downfall just like so long ago." Suzako smirked as she watched Ryo through a magical looking glass. She watched for awhile then looked up when something moved in the shadows. "Don't you agree my sweet Dark Prince?" She questioned. A man stepped forward bowing as his eyes glowed an evil shade of red.

Part 5

In the End

A month later Ryo's leg had healed and he'd told them everything that happened while he'd been in Suzako's castle. They were all amazed when they heard how her servant had helped him. "Maybe their under some sort of mind control like Anubis and the other Warlords were." Cye suggested. The others agreed and started forming a plan on what to do if Suzako attacked again. Ryo left them to discuss this stuff he was a spur of the moment guy and usually did whatever came to his mind in battle. He leaned on the balcony rail off from his bedroom and sighed. Suddenly a voice entered his head.

"Rekka…find me…help me…" It begged. Ryo stayed quiet listening. "Rekka…" It said again.

"Prince?" Ryo whispered.

"Ryo? Who are you talking to?" Rei questioned coming up behind him. Ryo snapped out of his daze and turned to look at her.

"No one but myself, I just have a lot going through my head right now." He replied. Rei walked up and put her arms around his waist in a small hug. Ryo smiled as he lay his head on hers glad just to have the comfort of her presence. Over the next few weeks Ryo had Rei formed a bond that was almost as strong as that of him and his friends. And during this time Suzako made sure her plans would work. She worked powerful magic over her newfound Prince and planed even more powerful spells for when she would have Ryo. Finally one night when everyone was in the living room doing random things when Ryo stood.

"What is it Ryo?" Mea questioned seeing him stand.

"She's here. She's come for us, outside now." Ryo replied and walked to the door. Without a word the guys followed him and then with worried glances to each other the girls followed as well. Outside everyone but Ryo was shocked to see a beautiful woman that looked to be maybe 25.

"Hello Ronins and Scouts. I take you now to my castle where we will fight for the dictatorship of this world." Suzako said and waved her hand. Everyone slowly sat up opening their eyes to look around at where they had been brought. To one side a beautiful enchanted land and to the other was a barren wasteland both looked neither friendly nor welcoming. "Good you are finally awake." Came Suzako's voice. At that they each wondered how long it had been but no one said anything, something else they noticed that they were each in their armor and Sailor outfits. The Ronins and Scouts stood before the Dynasty's new Empress, the evil Suzako. "Welcome warriors of old be known to you now that this will be your downfall." Suzako welcomed them with and evil smile. The Ronins and Scouts stayed quiet. "I have heard much about you. You have fought for the side of good well, but now it's time to join the winning side. You have no hope if you don't." Suzako told them.

"I doubt that." Ryo replied.

"Oh you will change your mind when you see my newest ally Wildfire. It took me a long time to find him so I hope you are happy when you see him… my Prince show yourself." Suzako commanded. In a brilliant flash of light Prince Darien appeared. The Ronins and Scouts stood there for a minute not believing what their eyes told them. Over the past few months everyone had started telling what they remembered about their past and that led them to remember everything so they each knew who Darien was but could not believe that he was evil. Then Ryo recovered and seethed his katanas. He took two steps forward and then kneeled. His right hand rested on his left knee and his left hand rested on the ground. Both fists clenched, both eyes were closed with his head bowed.

"Please…forgive me my Prince…" Ryo whispered. Prince Darien watched for a moment and then brought back his leg. Ryo flew five feet after Darien's leg slammed into his body and when he came to rest he didn't move.

"Ryo!" Rei screamed running over to him. She lifted his upper body up with tears in her eyes. "Please be okay…please." She begged.

"Mars… I can never drop my loyalty to my Prince. I will forever stand by his side." Ryo said as she helped him stand.

"But Ryo… can't you see he's fighting for the evil side. He's not the Prince you once served." Rei told him.

"Never!" Ryo hissed. He stood on his own now and walked back over to his Prince. Again Ryo kneeled before him but this time Prince Darien smiled.

"Rise Virtue." Prince Darien commanded in a cold voice. Ryo rose and walked over to stand behind his Prince.

"Traitors." Ryo whispered as he looked at his friends. His eyes glowed red the same as the Prince's and then lost all feeling and life that had once been in them.

"Any other takers?" Suzako questioned.

"Hell no! Ryo! Can't you see their evil!" Cye demanded. Ryo narrowed his eyes and the next thing Cye knew was that Ryo was in front of him, his fist punching his stomach…hard. "Ry…I thought…" Cye started.

"Never… disrespect my Prince." Ryo stated in Cye's ear and then let him fall. A second later Ryo was back at Darien's side.

"Oh well then, I have what I want. Come my servants we have many things to do now." Suzako explained turning around. Without a second glance or thought Ryo turned and followed his Prince.

After they had left Rei fell to her knees tears getting ready to fall any minute. Serena clutched at her locket; it was a special one that Darien had given her just before that last battle. The guys stood around Cye worried about their friend but at the same time their hearts breaking because they had lost Ryo.

TBC…