Chapter 3: Wildfire/Mars

Mars was in the fire temple, meditating as she always had whenever she had so much on her mind. The fire crackled in front of her as she sat silently in front of it. Suddenly, as she was just beginning to relax in her meditation, she suddenly became aware that someone else was in the room with her. Opening her eyes, she swung around with a dagger in hand. "Here I thought you couldn't swing weapons in the Fire Temple," Ryo commented.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked.

"I came to see what you were doing," he replied.

She placed her dagger back into its sheath. "I'm meditating," she answered simply.

"Sounds like fun…" he said slowly.

She closed her eyes as she tried again when she felt his eyes on her. "You know…it is rude to stare," she commented, making his face flush.

"Forgive me, I shall take my leave," he answered as he went to leave.

She smirked a little as she listened to him walk away.

Later on, she exited the temple to find Ryo leaning against a tree. "Have you been out here the whole time?" she asked.

"I have nothing really important to do today," he replied.

She stared at him curiously. "Would you join me for a stroll?" she asked.

"If my lady commands it," he answered.

Mars rolled her eyes before they started strolling through the courtyard together. "What made you decide to become a Warrior?" she asked curiously. Ryo glanced at her before shrugging his shoulders.

"My entire village was destroyed by the Emperor, Talpa, when I was young. The Ancient found me and took me in, the armor chose me," he answered simply.

She looked at him surprised. "The armor chose you?" she asked.

"Our armors chose all of us, we didn't pick this life it picked us," he answered as he sat down.

Mars frowned as she sat across from him, staring at him. "You took vows from what I understand?" she asked, making him look at her.

"We were told that the less we became attached to people outside of our circle, the less our enemies can use against us," he answered.

"It sounds like a lonely life," she murmured softly.

Ryo shrugged his shoulders. "The guys go home once in a while to visit their parents," he answered.

"But…what about you?" she asked.

"I sometimes go with one of them to visit the family, I had been accepted as another son to every one of their families," he answered simply.

Mars still frowned, sad to hear that this young man had no family to visit when they were able to make it home to visit their parents. "Seiji's parents have tried to talk both him and me into staying home during each visit," he said with a slight laugh.

"Jupiter said his parents had a harder time agreeing with the Ancient into allowing Seiji to go with him to learn the ways of becoming a warrior," she answered.

"They still have a hard time with the decision even twelve years later," he told her, "He is their only son after all."

She was still staring at him, this young man really didn't have any other life than the one he was living. He had no other family besides his friends. "This is truly all that you know," she said softly.

"Huh? Oh…yeah I guess so," he answered with a slight shrug.

Standing up, she walked over to the stone bench he was sitting on and sat beside him. "What about you? Do you have family back at home?" he asked.

"I have my parents, who are proud of the fact that not only is their daughter a psychic but a Sailor Scout as well," she answered.

"How do they like it having you here all the time?" he asked.

"Well they come to visit as often as they can," she replied.

She smiled a little as she twisted the ring on her right hand. She noticed that he was watching her twist the ring around and tracing the designs on it. Smiling, she removed the ring from her finger, looking at him. "See this?" she asked, holding it up to him.

"Yeah," he answered slowly.

"This ring symbolizes my spot as Princess and heir to Mars. I'm supposed to keep this on until I am either queen or married," she told him, "If I marry my husband is supposed to get this ring. It changes sizes magically to whoever is supposed to wear it."

He held his hand out and she placed the ring into his hand. Holding it up, he stared at the intricate designs on it. "Wow…this is amazing," he commented, "I am sure you have men around the realms coming to meet you."

"They do, but I turn them away," she replied with a shrug.

"You would rather stay here?" he asked.

"It's a good life here, a simple one," she replied simply, "Besides if I'm going to be with someone it's going to be out of love and NOT out of duty."

"I am surprised that your parents allow you to make that decision," he commented.

He slid the ring back onto her hand when she noticed that the ring was suddenly bigger, but then it shrunk down to her ring size. "Your quest was not to protect the Moon Princess was it?" she asked. Ryo stood up and looked at her. "You were assigned to each of us weren't you?" she asked, standing up as well.

"We do as we are asked. We were told of a probable danger so here we are and here we will stay until this threat is taken care of," he answered.

"What threat?" she asked.

Ryo was silent, unable to tell the princess the information she was yearning to hear. "I must take my leave, Princess. Enjoy your afternoon," he told her giving her a slight bow before leaving.

"Wait, Ryo!" she called out suddenly irritated.

Ryo made his way back inside. "Not as easy to deny your feelings for someone is it?" a voice asked, making Ryo turn to his left. He saw Seiji leaning against a wall, one leg propped up behind him while his arms were crossed over his chest.

"I didn't kiss her, I didn't offer anything like you had offered Jupiter," he answered.

"No but you wanted to," Seiji told him.

Ryo glared at him. "Admit it, you know the Ancient sent us here to be more than just bodyguards," Seiji insisted.

"I am here to do one thing and one thing only and that is to make sure Mars lives," he answered.

"Why would the Ancient pick the five of us? We are not his only warriors," Seiji pointed out, "Why did the Ancient ask the other monks for this quest?"

Ryo's back was to his friend as he stared out the tall window in front of him. "You know I'm right, that he sent us here for more than just protecting these girls," Seiji insisted. The darker haired young man shot his friend a glare. "Ryo, you are far from a fool," Seiji told him.

"You are the fool for listening to you affections for Jupiter," Ryo muttered.

"I saw the way you were looking at her, Ryo. I am neither blind nor a fool!" Seiji spat.

The two friends were practically standing in each other's faces. "You need to let it go, Seiji. It's not happening, I'm not going to give up my armor," Ryo answered.

"What if we're not supposed to give up our armor? What if this is supposed to make our armors stronger?" Seiji demanded.

Instead of answering, Ryo storm away, leaving Seiji standing there. He refused to listen to what his friend had to say. Refused to go against their vows what he had promised to do since he was a child.

Entering his quarters, Ryo tossed his tunic over the chair in the room. Walking over to the water basin in the corner of the room. Walking over, he splashed water in his face and was trying to get Seiji's persistent words from echoing in his head. "Ancient, tell me what am I supposed to do?" he muttered under his breath. He leaned his forehead against the wall and let out a frustrated sigh.

Mars was sitting out in the gardens completely confused about what had just happened. "Mars, are you alright?" Jupiter asked.

"I'm…I'm not sure," she replied as her friend sat beside her.

Jupiter saw that her friend was staring at the ring on her right hand. "Something happen?" she asked.

"My ring changed sizes," Mars replied.

Jupiter looked at her surprised. "Which ring?" she asked.

"This ring! The ring that's belonged to my family for centuries, the ring that changes sizes when it touches the hands that it's supposed to be on," Mars answered showing her the ring.

Jupiter stared at the ring on her friend's finger. "Well…whose hand was it touching?" she asked.

"Ryo's," Mars replied.

She rubbed her forehead, letting out a deep breath. "He is far from whom my parents would approve of," she added, "And besides he has his vows, he refuses to break his vows. I won't him ask him of that either."

"Of course you won't," Jupiter muttered.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mars demanded.

"What I mean is that you never do anything for yourself," Jupiter replied.

Mars looked at her friend. "I have a responsibility as princess and so do you or did you forget that you're heir to the Jupiter throne?" she demanded.

"Have I ever acted as though I'm not?" Jupiter answered.

"Falling in love with the Warrior wasn't the best move," Mars muttered.

"I am unable to control who I fall in love with, neither can you," Jupiter answered.

The black-haired girl looked at the brunette incredulously. "You have lost your mind!" she exclaimed, "It has been only a week since their arrival!"

"Yet the last thing you see at night and the first thing you see in the morning is Ryo's face," Jupiter stated.

Mars stared at her with wide eyes. Jupiter smoothed out her skirt as she stood up. "Tell Queen Serenity that I will be missing dinner this evening, I have another engagement," she stated.

"Where are you going?" Mars demanded.

Jupiter stopped and looked at her. "That is none of your concern," she answered.

Later that evening, Ryo made his way up the stairs to his quarters when he passed Mars's room. Walking over, he rested his hands on the large oak door and went to knock but stopped himself.

On the other side of the door, Mars had heard him walk down the hall and rested her ear against the door waiting for him to knock. She bit her lower lip, closing her eyes tightly waiting for it.

Ryo let out a deep breath, resting his forehead against the door. Forcing himself back, he turned on his heel and walked away.

Mars closed her eyes, letting out a sigh as she walked away from the door. She was about to pull off her robe when there was a knock on the door. Furrowing her brow, she walked over to the door and opened it. She saw a surprised Ryo standing there. "You were about to go to bed, I apologize," he told her as he went to leave.

"What is it?" she called out, "Is everything alright?"

"It wasn't important," he answered.

He cleared his throat. Moving to walk away, he let out a deep breath when Mars reached out and grabbed his arm. "No, but what I need to do IS," she told him before she kissed him. Ryo immediately kissed her back, his arms going around her waist. Pulling away, he rested his forehead against hers and was shocked when his Virtue Symbol and her Mars symbol appeared and melded together.

"I must go," he told her.

"No," she answered.

"I must," he murmured.

He pressed a kiss to her lips before pulling back. "Good night pri-Mars," he murmured. He gave her a soft smile before he walked down the hall towards his quarters.

Closing the door, Mars closed her eyes feeling her cheeks flush with a smile on her face.