Just as a heads up my story begins quite a ways into the AnY storyline—chapter 66 to be exact which is much further along than the anime so SPOILER ALERT!

Otherwise, I will try my hardest to squeeze in as much of the AnY backstory that applies for those who are not familiar.

If you don't happen to know the SM universe I would also suggest some quick research on the Silver Millennium.

Chapter 1

"Let me be reborn…"

With a loud heave of her chest, Mars sat up, instantly coughing against the itchiness in the back of her throat. Bringing a hand up, she shielded her eyes against the harsh afternoon sun.

"W-where…?"

Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see the princess lying next to her, her platinum tresses creating a halo around her while blue eyes stared unnervingly up at the sky. Her once beautiful gown was ripped in multiple places and caked with dried blood.

That was right… Everything…

A sudden wave of nausea hit her, leaving Mars' eyes burning as she fought against the rise of bile.

Everyone…

Swallowing thickly, the Senshi took a moment to find her resolve again, neatly tucking the memories away. There was no time for tears.

"Serenity," Mars called softly, carefully shaking the girl's shoulders. "Hey, Serenity."

Frowning, the raven-haired girl put a little more force into her efforts.

"Serenity! This is not the time to play around!"

Despite the rise and fall of her chest, Serenity's once bright eyes remained vacant and unfocused.

As Mars grasped the girl's icy hands she was struck with the jolting revelation of just how serious the situation was. Serenity's pulse was dangerously weak and the thin sheen of sweat covering her was beginning to chill her to the touch. If she stayed like this she would most likely die from exposure.

With some awkward manipulation, the Martian priestess was able to hoist the pigtailed girl into a comfortable enough position. She could feel Serenity's stiff body begin to shiver against the curve of her back, starved for warmth.

Violet eyes listlessly took in the barren scene around her. Just a wasteland of sand and mudflats for as far as the eye could see. Had the land been red Mars would have found a comfort in the sight, but the biting winds against her cheeks were not those of her home planet. Or of any planet she recognized.

Her lips thinned grimly as she began trudging along, letting her senses guide her. At least there appeared to be life, distant as it was.

It was nearly sundown by the time a small village came into view.

Shifting the princess's weight Mars inwardly thanked Luna for the lifetime of grueling training. Despite the girl's wispy appearance, she was not exactly light and Mars suspected it had something to do with Jupiter's late night baking habits.

The raven-haired girl winced at the thought of her friends.

Standing at the edge of town, Mars waited. The road remained abandoned; the only sound was the groans of the wooden structures which wobbled and shook in the dry wind. She held her breath under the eerily dismal atmosphere.

Did people really live here?

"Hey, you, girl!" A voice shouted. "Stop right there!"

With the snap of her neck, she watched as two soldiers brandishing swords strutted towards them.

"Why are you wearing such odd clothing?" The other called. "Who is that with you?"

Glancing down at her attire, Mars became fully aware of her own tattered gown and bare feet for the first time.

"You're not from around here, are you, pretty thing?" The sinister curl of their lips had the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.

Damnit.

With barely a glance around, Mars took off to her right, squeezing between houses, and past another band of startled soldiers.

"Stop her! She's heading for Kai's borders!"

"Spy!"

Thundering footsteps trailed close behind her as she ran. Already her limbs and lungs burned for oxygen, weighed down by her own body's gradual fatigue. If she kept this pace up she'd have no energy left.

Cursing, Mars whipped around, facing the group with a fierce resolve.

Using her powers on humans was forbidden by law, but scare tactics were not. She could only hope it would work.

Holding up a fist, she called to the warrior that lurked just below the surface. Outside of her Senshi form it took more effort, but the familiar heat gathered upon her palm, bright and ravenous.

The band of men slowed as they approached her, their faces white with shock.

"Stay back!" Mars growled, but her power flickered uncertainly.

They stood with their swords raised, but their eyes began to move between her and something over her shoulder.

"Well, well," a deep voice called. "What do we have here?"

Her pursuer's weapons fell to the ground with hollow thuds as they turned and made a hasty retreat.

Mars turned stiffly, her lagging senses only now aware of the handful of men beginning to circle her on horseback from behind.

"I said stay back!" Like a cornered animal, she twisted around and around, amethyst eyes deadly. The flame in her palm crackled, but only briefly as the last frays of her energy was consumed.

A mixture of horror and amazement washed through this new crowd, but they remained unmoved.

As each breath racked her lungs, Mars realized she could no longer sustain her power. Against her own will, the fire dimmed before receding back into her fingertips.

She had to… keep moving…

Shifting forward, her knees buckled under the weight of her princess, sending her roughly to the ground.

Dismounting from his horse, the leader of the party approached, his armor creaking as he crouched close enough to just catch her feeble threats.

"I will… burn you…"

An unsettling grin spread across his face.

"Sir, the Kouka soldiers?"

"Leave them." Dark eyes focused on the peaceful face of the now unconscious girl. "This one is more valuable."

An ace had just fallen into Li Hazara's lap.

-x-

Diluted voices trickled through the darkness, breaching the heavy blanket of her unconsciousness.

Knitting inky brows together in frustration, Mars tried to slip back into the fluid warmth of her mind. However, the commotion happening around her only grew noisier as her senses returned. Her lips pressed into a thin line as a headache graciously blossomed in the back of her skull, pounding in rhythm with the grating murmurs around her.

With an inward sigh, she relinquished her desire to rest and cautiously splintered open her eyes.

"Oh!" She heard a feminine voice cry a little too shrilly. "She's awake! Quickly, fetch the lord!"

Taking her time the raven-haired girl begrudgingly sat up, watching as the maids flapped around the room in a panic. One of them fussed with her bangs while another smoothed out the bed sheets around her before they all simultaneously slipped out of the room.

And everything was quiet again.

Blinking, Mars took in the beautiful red and gold details spun into the room. It was simple but undeniably elegant and the flare of color was a stark contrast to the pale whites of the Moon Palace.

She felt her stomach drop.

"Serenity?!" Moving to push back the covers Mars found her wrists restrained by a thick rope. "What?"

"So, you are awake." The door slid open, revealing two demanding figures.

The man who stepped into the room first eyed her with an air of disgust, his hand stroking the ends of his mustache. The sunken curves of his face only grew more severe as the corners his mouth settled into something akin to disappointment.

The second, larger man smirked at her from the corner of his eye as he entered the room.

"We meet again." The sound of his deep voice struck a familiar chord in her memory. Younger than the first man, his dark facial hair framed the squared angles of his face. Next to the slender, grey-haired man his deeply tanned face and casual way of speaking seemed out of place.

"You," she hissed. "What have you done with her?"

"You mean the girl we found you with three days ago?" Li Hazara chuckled. "She's safe, tucked somewhere far, far away."

The princess of Mars froze for a moment as her mind raced.

"What do you want with us? Who are you?"

"Show me." The older man's amber eyes narrowed, but his voice remained eerily leveled. "Show me your so-called "fire" if you ever wish to see your companion again."

With a flick of two fingers, a soldier waltzed into the room, promptly cutting the binds around her wrist. Taking her time to rub her raw flesh, Mars' eyes smoldered with defiance.

"Cooperate or she dies." Kan Soo-Jin's gaze sliced through her like steel.

With only a short moment of hesitation, Mars held up a hand, reluctantly letting a small flame form in the cup of her palm. Her eyes regarded him warily as shock and amazement rippled through his impervious mask.

He took a step back to balance himself, before taking two towards her.

"You… You really are," his voice echoed disbelief, "Hiryuu."

Confusion played plainly across Hazara's face as he watched Soo-Jin's fanatical reaction. The Fire Tribe's general, known for his strict sense of composure and ruthless ambition, was all but shaking in this fragile girl's presence.

This girl, a god?

Like many from Kai, Hazara had heard about the legends that revolved around a crimson dragon and his god-blessed warriors. He had also known that Soo-Jin had prided himself on being a so-called descendant of this mythical figure; thus leaving the Fire Tribe leader's ego venerable to Hazara's manipulation. He had expected the man to be shaken, but this reaction was unexpectedly... dangerous.

He couldn't risk Kan Soo-Jin backing out now.

"Can't you see?! She's a gift from the gods given to us to help win this war! With her on our side, we'll be unstoppable!" Placing a hard gripping hand on the general's shoulders, Hazara broke the illusion. "You are the rightful ruler of this kingdom. Only you."

Compelled by the other man's words, the flare of doubt within the General of the Fire Tribe's eyes quelled.

"That's right." Clearing his throat Soo-Jin turned to the door, unable to look her in the eye any longer. "Tomorrow the Fire Tribe will strike. And on that war front, I will finally claim my rightful place as king."

"And you, Miss Firestarter, will aid us in this war." The Sen Providence leader's face was smug as he followed Soo-Jin to the edge of the room. "Unless you want your friend to die."

"How dare you!" Standing at once Mars' fingers curled into fists at her sides. "How dare you threaten her!"

"Behave or you'll never find out where we've hidden her." With a leer, Hazara slammed the sliding door closed.

Closing her eyes, Mars willed herself to remain calm as she listened to their footsteps recede down the hall. Moving to the window, she peered down at the same cold, dead landscape.

Her nails dug into the soft wood of the windowsill.

What could she do?

"War." This single word held more emotion than she would have liked.

-x-

The thundering of hooves shook the ground for miles as the armies of the Fire Tribe and Sen Province hurtled towards the unsuspecting city of Kuuto.

Mars, riding in the arms of an unnamed soldier, pursed her lips.

Thanks to her sharp ears, the Senshi felt like she was able to piece a few things together: First, they had awoken in a country called Kouka, which was made up of four different territories all governed by a fifth called the Sky Tribe. Second, Kan Soo-Jin, commander of the northern most tribe—the Fire Tribe—had teamed together with Li Hazara—a ruler from a neighboring country—in order to orchestrate an attack against the Sky Tribe's capital city, Kuuto. Lastly, to pull this off, the Fire Tribe and Sen Province were pretending to fight each other, but in reality Soo-Jin was truly mobilizing his army to join Hazara's. Together their combined forces would march on the capital and the Senshi of Mars would be aiding them.

Or else.

Mars couldn't remember the last time she had felt such anger.

They had the audacity to lock her up and threaten her princess. It had taken every fiber of her being to resist burning Soo-Jin's fort to the ground. If they thought for a single second that she was going to roll over and just become their pawn they were sorely mistaken…

And yet, Mars couldn't help but feel that something was very off about this whole scheme.

They hadn't tested her capabilities at all. Even stranger was the fact that, while each man around her donned the typical helmet, breastplate and sword for battle, she was weighted down by multiple layers of fine silks. Gold jewelry tinkled with every movement and ornate hairpins held her hair together in a heavy pile. Her horse had also been strategically placed towards the back of the pack, keeping her closer to the generals than to the front line.

Her eyes fell on the back of the Soo-Jin's head.

What was he planning?

Just as they flooded into a valley, shouts broke through her brooding. Her eyes fell upon an imposing wall of armed soldiers, dressed in silver armor; presumably the Sky Tribe forces. It seemed that Soo-Jin's plot to waltz into Kuuto wasn't going to be as straightforward as they had originally planned.

More shouts erupted as the two invading armies funneled into the canyon, ready for battle.

Her view may have been poor from her position, but it was clear to Mars' trained eye what was happening. The gorge's walls were steep and the path forward even narrower; this was a tactic designed to swiftly limit the larger force's mobility. That way, even though they were clearly outmatched in size and strength, the Sky Tribe could dig in and push back.

And Soo-Jin was falling right into their trap.

Which meant…

"They knew this was coming," Mars realized with a smirk. Even so, how long could the Sky Tribe keep it up? They were significantly outnumbered.

Mars' escort pulled the horse around, keeping a safe distance from the chaos while Soo-Jin lingered close by, shouting orders.

Scowling, the Senshi of Fire could practically feel his arrogance pouring off of him in waves. It was true, the odds were stacked considerably in his favor, but overconfidence only led to mistakes.

-x-

"Sire, their forces have taken the bait."

"Ready the archers. Aim at their shields, push them back."

"Uhm, Your Majesty?"

"The Fire Tribe army is still made up of Kouka's people. We need to keep causalities to a minimum."

Cerulean eyes vigilantly watched as the battle unfolded below.

-x-

Ducking, Mars barely missed being hit by a stray arrow. Her riding companion was not as lucky as he fell from their horse to the ground with a thunk.

Taking the reins, Mars held steady, observing.

The Sky Tribe had corralled the two armies into a pinnacle, using their strategically placed archers to shoot arrows into the tightly packed crowd. It threw the Fire Tribe and Sen forces into a panicked chaos as they ducked and weaved and tripped over one another, trying to avoid being shot.

Clearly frustrated by the slow progress, Hazara rejoined Soo-Jin's side.

Mars had to give this Sky Tribe some credit. Their tactics were working well to even the playing field and fluster their opponents. And yet, they still made no move to take the offensive. Would they simply try to hold them off and hope that Soo-Jin would yield? They had to know that Soo-Jin would never pull back. Even in the short amount of time she had spent with him, she knew that. So what were they waiting for?

Gasping, Mars spun her horse around. A substantial surge of new energy was approaching from behind. It only took moments before hundreds of new soldiers topped the hill overlooking their battleground. Horns sounded as an unfamiliar banner rose proudly into the sky.

"From behind! Reinforcements!"

"It's Geun-Tae!"

"The Earth Tribe!"

Fear flowed openly through the corralled soldiers as their opponents came crashing down on them with an eager ferocity. Their overpowering sense of dread led Mars' stead into a wild frenzy, sending her toppling to the ground.

Coughing, she could hear Li Hazara and his men calling for a retreat, and yet the Fire Tribe pressed on despite their terrified eyes.

"They're being overwhelmed," she thought out loud. "What is he doing?"

Standing, her eyes caught sight of his silver head as Soo-Jin sat ridged in a pocket of protection his men had formed. Men who were being cut down left and right in this senseless battle…

With a pitiful wail a man fell dead at Mars' feet while others, bleeding and injured cried out for loved ones. Kan Soo-Jin was going to fight until the very end, taking as many men as he had to with him.

Seeing red, Mars found an opening in the violence and pushed her way through.

"I am the true king! Fight for me and kill that impostor! Die for me! This is your destiny as Fire Tribe soldiers!"

The soldiers around her parted, unsure.

"Soo-Jin, you need to end this!" As she approached Mars was stricken by the feeling of desperation. "It's over! Surrender!"

Only his eyes moved, casting a frosty look over her.

"Hiryuu…" His fingertips reached out, caressing the golden dragon pin nestled delicately in her obsidian locks. As she moved to back away a look of absolute rage creased his features and his hand closed around her hair. "You will lead the Fire Tribe to victory and if you don't, I will personally skin her alive."

With a snarl, he threw Mars to the ground.

-x-

"Your Highness, there is an unknown group of people who have entered the battle on the eastern front."

"Is that so?" Cocking his head, Kouka's emperor listened with interest.

"Yes, they seem to have inhuman strength. There are only a handful of them, but they are easily outmatching the remaining Sen soldiers!"

Without needing any further encouragement, the young man nudged his horse forward.

-x-

Their cloaks fluttered around them as they tore, slashed, and gored their way through countless bodies.

"Yona, it seems like Soo-Jin has refused to pull back."

Letting an arrow fly, the girl frowned. "Then this is nothing but a slaughter."

The sound of a hawk's shrill cry had the crimson haired girl's stare fixed over her shoulder. Her breath caught somewhere deep in her chest as she observed the familiar sight of the animal returning to its master's shoulder.

Atop of the sloping hill, he loitered, his kind face paling as he stared upon a ghost from his past.

But she wasn't a ghost. She was living, breathing flesh and yet somehow she was different then he remembered as she stared through him with burning eyes. Eyes he did not know.

Soo-Won's trance was only broken as generals Joo-Doh and Geun-Tae joined his side.

"Isn't that…?" Both the commanding men fell silent as the realization sank in: Princess Yona was alive.

"General! A civilian on the battlefield!" One of the surrounding men called.

Heads turned to observe the remaining group of Fire Tribe soldiers circled around Soo-Jin and an unknown woman, dressed in wafts of crimson.

"Who the hell is that?" Geun-Tae shouted as the slight movements of Earth Tribe archers hidden in the crags of rocks caught their eye. "Shit!"

The strings of the men's bows drew back, arrows nocked and before the cries to desist could reach them, it was already too late.

-x-

"Hiryuu…?" Quiet murmurs erupted all around them.

Picking herself up off the ground the princess of Mars wiped the gravel from her palms, hiding her anger behind her bangs. Her breathing was erratic and she could feel the heat collecting at the tips of her fingers. Her patience was reaching its limits and if he wanted to see fire, he would see fire.

Before her fury could materialize the men around them began to scramble, pointing to something over her shoulder.

"Archers! On the hillside!"

"Look out!" Soldiers began to duck, shielding their heads with anything in reach.

Whirling around Mars's breath caught as a volley of arrows hung in the sky as thick as rain pouring down.

-x-

mystlady! So good to see a familiar pen-name still around! I am also quite sad to see a lot of this section slowly dying, but for some reason I just can't let it go. Even crazier when I look back on some of my favorite "newer" stories here and they're all 7 or 8 years old already! Insane.

Thank you all for your support! :)