Ryo lay on his back, staring up into the sky through the opening in the volcano. He and his reluctant traveling companion had wandered around this place for hours, but every tunnel they came out of seemed to just lead to another side of the lava crater. Dusk had fallen, and he and Raye had decided that they should stop for the night. Raye insisted that he sleep several feet away, her distrust of him not fully gone. Ryo didn't argue. He decided that if he was friendly to Raye, he could gain her trust. She seemed to be hiding something from him, like how she knew of his powers. She might know about other things too and Ryo wanted to know what. He closed his eyes, his mind crowded with thoughts. He wasn't going to be getting to sleep anytime soon.
Raye turned on her side, shifting uncomfortably on the hard ground. She hadn't heard Ryo for a while, so she figured he had fallen asleep. She sighed and pushed her jet black hair over her shoulder. She realized she hadn't been very nice toward Ryo, though he didn't make it easy for her. He had tolerated all her unfriendliness with a kind and accepting manner. But she couldn't help it; something about him made her edgy. Raye kept sensing a strange aura about him. It wasn't that intense evil energy she had felt earlier, but it was still quite powerful. She couldn't figure out if it was evil or good. Usually she could pinpoint that kind of thing. But Ryo's power wasn't as readable, and she didn't like that.
Raye gave up trying to doze off and sat up. She glanced over at Ryo to see his eyes closed. Relieved, she stood and quietly went around a corner. She needed to get some distance from Ryo and be by herself. She sat down, leaning her back on the wall. The lava crater wasn't too far away and she could feel the heat on her face. Normally, when she was upset or worried about something, she would consult the sacred fire. But now she stuck here and had no outlet for her frustrations. There was only one thing she could think to do.
Meanwhile, Ryo waited on the other side of the corner Raye had walked to. He, of course, hadn't been asleep and had heard her get up. He then followed her and listened intently, wondering what she was up to. He was not prepared for what he heard next. As he stood there, Raye began to sing.
She knew the words perfectly and her singing became clear and free. Oh, Starry Night had always been one of her favorites melodies. Her anxiety and stress vanished, her voice soaring. If she hadn't been so absorbed in her song, she would have been able to sense Ryo standing near her.
Ryo listened in awe, enchanted by Raye's song. He never would have imagined her to have such a talent. It was like she sang from her heart. She finished and fell into silence, but Raye felt much better. Ryo couldn't stay silent anymore and stepped around the corner. "That was beautiful," he said in admiration.
Raye jumped at the sound of his voice, startled. "What are you doing?" she asked tensely.
"I couldn't sleep and I heard your singing. What was that?" he asked curiously.
Raye looked at him in surprise, then smiled modestly. "It's just something I wrote."
"No kidding, you wrote that?"
"Yeah." Raye raised her head and stared up into the sky. "There was this school festival I was in charge of, and I organized a concert and performed at it. I wrote a whole bunch of songs for it." She shrugged as if it were nothing. "It was really hard work."
Ryo shook his head, impressed. "Wow. I probably can't even carry a tune."
"Have you ever tried?" Raye asked.
Ryo was taken back by this. "Well, no," he admitted sheepishly, "but it's not like it would matter. I wouldn't have time. I have to work to support myself."
Raye got a confused expression on her face. "What about your parents? Don't they help you out?"
He became silent for a moment. "My mother died when I was young, and my father was killed on a safari by a wild animal."
"Oh..." She mentally scolded herself for being so insensitive. "I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up." Then, to her relief, Ryo smiled warmly at her.
"Hey, don't worry about it. I've got my friends now. They're all the family I need. And Whiteblaze always sticks with me." His face darkened slightly. "I just hope I can find them before something happens."
"Who's Whiteblaze?" Raye changed the subject, not wanting Ryo to dwell on such things.
Ryo, startled by this question, thought that maybe he should be discreet about Whiteblaze. "He's, uh, my pet cat," he said simply. He stood and headed around the corner, but stopped to look back at Raye. "I'm going to try to get some sleep now. You should too, when you're ready."
Raye nodded. "All right. I just want to think for a while." As Ryo turned to leave, she added, "I'm sure your friends are all right."
He didn't face her, but she swore that he was smiling. "Thank you. It's good to know that I have a friend with me now." With that, he walked out of sight, leaving Raye with a surprised expression on her face. Her cheeks flushed as she looked down at the ground, listening to his footfalls as they faded off. He considers me a friend? She couldn't believe it. Why is he so nice to me?
Ryo settled himself back on the ground, feeling that he might be able get some rest now. He figured that he might be getting through Raye's hard shell. She wasn't really such a bad person after all. He had to admit he'd had his doubts about her, but he could see now that they were unneeded. Besides, she's kinda cute, he thought, laughing to himself. He began to doze off, which is part of the reason he was caught off guard. He heard a scraping noise near him and his eyes shot open. Luckily, Ryo had reflexes and experience on his side. Otherwise, his head would have been crushed by the large, bristly foot that came down upon him.
"Whoa!" He rolled out of the way, barely saving himself. Ryo was on his feet in a second facing an enormous insect. It had a hard armored exoskeleton and it stood on its hind legs, wielding a pair of lethal-looking pinchers. Its spiky feelers twitched in the air as they located potential prey. "You've got to be kidding me!" he exclaimed, exasperated. It swung a pincher at him as he quickly back-flipped, then launched himself at its head for a kick. But he didn't quite make it as the insect slugged him with its other arm. He slammed into a wall, the impact making an impression of his body in the rock. Ryo uttered an inaudible sound as he slid to the ground and blacked out.
A jolt of energy ran up Raye's spine. She reeled back and shook her head, trying to get rid of the dizziness that had just hit her. That evil energy she had felt before was back. She rubbed her temple, concentrating on the source. "Come on, where is it?" she whispered to herself. It was coming from where Ryo had just..... "Oh, no!" She bolted to her feet and raced to where Ryo was. She gasped in horror, having arrived too late. The bug loomed over his limp form, but left itself wide open to Raye's attack. "Evil spirit, be gone!" she shouted, flinging an anti-scroll on the insect's back. It screeched as it shuddered, unable to move. She darted around the thing and knelt next to Ryo. She gently shook him, but got no response. "Ryo? Ryo! Come on!" He could be dying, she thought, panicked. "Please be all right! Wake up!" she begged frantically.
Ryo groaned and his eyes slowly opened. "Man, what hit me?"
"Ryo! Stay still, you're hurt," Raye said with immense relief.
"Yeah, I knew that," he said as he sat up, wincing. Raye was alarmed and tried to get him to lie down again. "I'm fine, I just got battered a little."
"You're ok? Nothing's broken or anything?"
Ryo started to stand, then doubled over and fell back down. "Well, not really," he whispered, flinching.
Raye heard a screech from the insect. She whirled around, seeing the bug breaking free of her spell. "My scroll won't hold him much longer," she said urgently. At the instant, the scroll ran out and burned away. The insect roared, twitching its antennae. It focused in on the two people and snapped its claws. Struggling to his feet, Ryo prepared to call his armor.
"Armor.....of....." But he didn't get the chance as Raye dashed to the other side of the insect.
"Hey! Over here, you overgrown termite!" she taunted, waving her arms to get its attention. The bug turned in her direction and slammed its pinchers together in a threatening manner. Raye continued to call out insults, doing everything she could to get it to follow her.
"What is she doing?" Ryo moved forward, then collapsed to his knees as a stab of pain overwhelmed him. He lifted his head, sweat on his brow. I hope she knows what she's doing, he thought anxiously.
Raye lead the insect toward the lava crater. She stopped when the intense heat began to singe her back. Okay, now I just have get it to fall into the lava. But how, she wondered. Suddenly her transformation pen appeared from nowhere and she looked down in surprise to see it in her hand. Then she smiled as it started to glow in a pulsating light. "Yeah," she said, "why not?" She raised it into the air, feeling a burning power inside her. "Mars Star Power!"
"Whoa," Ryo breathed. Right before his eyes, Raye's body turned blazing red. Her clothes faded away as the sign of Mars on her pen spun. Flames blasted from it, making rings of fire that surrounded her. They disappeared with a flash of light and the transformation was complete.
"I am the Sailor Scout of fire, Sailor Mars! And in the name of Mars, you're going down!" Unfortunately, the insect didn't seem taken back at all by her little speech. Sailor Mars watched her opponent carefully. It stalked her slowly, then in a sudden movement, whipped its pinchers at her. She had been waiting for that. Diving under its legs, Mars managed to get it with its back to the volcano pit. She rolled under it and onto her feet near Ryo.
"Uh, is there something you want tell me?" he asked, indicating her new look.
"Maybe later," she said distractedly. She clasped her hands together with her index fingers pointed out. Fire gathered at her fingertips as she aimed at the bug. "Mars Fire, Ignite!" A stream of fire shot from Mars, barreling into the insect. It was shoved backwards toward the crater. Suddenly, its antennae sparked and a blast of fire shot against Mars's attack, canceling it out. "What?!" she said disbelievingly. In her moment of shock, the bug launched another round of fire. She dodged to the right, then screamed in agony as the flames scalded her shoulder. She fell to the ground, clutching her arm.
"Mars!" Ryo rushed to her aid, forgetting his injuries. She clenched her teeth and sat up with difficultly.
"Damn, I should have moved faster," she said painfully.
Ryo's eyes narrowed in anger. "That monster!" He leapt up and charged at the insect.
"Wait!" Mars shouted after him.
He didn't hear her as he fought the bug. A blur of movement caught his attention, but he was too late as a pincher caught him around his chest. He beat his fists against the hard skin as he was lifted up into the air. "Let go!" he yelled furiously. He certainly wasn't expecting the insect to actually comply with his request, except it turned and hurled him into the volcano. He cried out as he plummeted down.
Mars only stared as he disappeared into the pit, listening as his voice trailed away. There was no way she could have saved him. She slowly staggered to her feet, a dazed expression on her face. Several memories of Ryo suddenly flashed in her mind. She could hear his voice so clearly it was like he was right next to her.
"Well, I'd hate to be the monster that runs into you. It looks like you'd put up a pretty good fight."
"I know you don't trust me, but we need to work together. Ok?"
"Hey, don't worry about it. I've got my friends now. They're all the family I need."
"Thank you. It's good to know that I have a friend with me now."
Tears pooled in Mars's eyes. "Ryo..." She whispered his name, her heart wrenching inside her. This can't be happening, she thought numbly. But the truth was all too evident to her. She pressed her hands on the sides of her head, desperately trying to block out reality. No...no...no....no! "NNNNOOOOOO!!!!!!" Screaming in anguish, Mars attacked the bug with a vengeance. She didn't care or think about the danger she was putting herself in. She was only was aware of the hurt she was experiencing, and she wanted this thing to feel the same torment she was going through.
The insect knocked Mars down and then rammed an open pincher into the ground, trapping her under its weight. Mars strained to escape, as useless as her efforts were. She finally gave up, having no more fight left. She watched helplessly as the bug's antennae rubbed together, showering sparks everywhere. One fell on Mars, stinging her wet cheek. Tears flowed down the sides of her face as she realized that she was about to be killed. She wept more for Ryo than for herself, because he had died for nothing.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a rumbling sound. The ground began to shake, causing to the insect to stop spilling sparks on her and turn its head toward the lava crater. Mars could feel the air heat up as the tremors grew more violent. She sensed an enormous power from the depths of the volcano. And it was coming up.
Without warning, a geyser of lava erupted from the crater, blasting through the hole in the ceiling into the sky. From the stream that burst up, a figure appeared. It leapt out of the lava and landed in front of the crater. Lava dripped from it as the form stood there. Mars craned her neck for a better look. It seemed to be a person, or at least she thought it was. She could make out that figure was wearing some kind of red armor with shoulders that jutted out to the sides, and a helmet with two pointed blades on top. But the face of the wearer was shrouded in shadows from the brightness from the explosion behind it. A tremendous energy radiated from the figure. He reached over his shoulder and pulled out two swords, crossing them in front of him. Then he spoke in a low, venomous tone. "Let her go."
He began to walk toward the insect, each step leaving a steaming footprint behind. The bug roared in rage and shot a barrage of flames at the newcomer, ramming them into the figure. Mars had to turn her face away as the heat became unbearable. After the attack had stopped, she carefully turned back to the battle. Her eyes widened as she saw that the person hadn't even been scratched. In fact, Mars could feel this person growing more powerful. Her theory was confirmed as armor he was wearing started to glow fiery red. That blast didn't faze him at all, Mars thought. How? Suddenly, she had a realization. It's the fire! It doesn't hurt him, it actually makes him stronger! Who, what is this?
The armored figure scoffed mockingly. "That's it? What a joke." Nimbly, he jumped into the air and came down upon the bug with his swords. He sliced a fiery blade through the pincher that was restraining Mars. Shrieking at a high-pitched frequency, the insect lurched back. Its former claw was now a charred stump. The person was obviously tired of playing around with this thing. He leapt up and, in a swift motion, hacked off its head.
Mars watched as the head fell to the ground with a thud. The rest of the body toppled over, the neck end smoldering. The armored person landed on his feet and turned to the insect corpse. Once he was sure it was dead, he slid his two swords back into their sheaths. Then he headed over to Mars. Though she was still alive thanks to him, she felt little relief. Now that the bug was gone, she would have to face him. She attempted to get up and run, but her fight had left her haggard. Barely able to move, she watched in fear as the dark figure drew closer. Then, from pain and exhaustion, she fainted.
"Mars? Are you okay? Wake up!"
Mars groaned, her head spinning with dizziness. She opened her eyes, her vision cloudy.
The first thing she was aware of was a stinging sensation in her shoulder. This was accompanied by a dull ache in her chest which was hurting her a lot more than her arm for some reason. Before she could try to figure out why, her memory came back and hit her like a fist in the stomach. Tears immediately began to trickle out of her closed eyes. She rolled over on her side and curled up into a ball, weeping miserably.
"Hey, don't cry," a voice said comfortingly. A hand reached out and touched her head gently. "It's ok."
She ignored her consoler, too tired to shake off his hand. She had no idea who was with her, not that she cared. "No, it's not," she sobbed. "I let him die. Oh, god, it's all my fault!" She covered her face with her hands. "Ryo, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"But Mars," the voice said insistently, "I'm not dead!"
Mars abruptly stopped crying, not sure she had heard right. No way, I must be dreaming, she thought. "What?" she said disbelievingly, suppressing the sudden wave of hope that hit her.
"I'm not dead." At that, Mars's eyes flashed open. After her vision unclouded, she was greeted by the most wonderful sight in the world. Ryo leaned over her, his blue eyes filled with concern. His face was slightly scraped and his hair was more messed up than usual, but he was definitely alive.
Mars's shock was tremendous as she stared at him wide-eyed. Then her gaze softened as unimaginable joy welled up inside her, her eyes shimmering with tears. "Ryo..." she said softly.
Ryo brought her to a sitting position, careful not to aggravate her shoulder injury. He grinned in a friendly way. "I'm ok. After all, I don't go down that easy!" Then he looked at her anxiously. "Man, you got burned bad. Are you going to be all right?" Then he was taken by surprise as Mars suddenly hugged him.
She trembled as she cried quietly. "I thought you were dead," she whispered.
Startled, Ryo didn't move for a moment. Then he folded his arms around her and gently stroked her hair. "Shhh.... It's ok," he said soothingly. "I didn't mean to scare you. Don't worry, I won't leave you behind. I stick by my friends, no matter what."
She rested her cheek on his shoulder, nodding her head. She finally trusted him and knew he would look out for her. "Thank you," she murmured. Feeling safer than she had since she had first gotten here, she fell asleep in his arms.
Ryo leaned against the wall, continuing to hold onto Mars. What a day, he thought. He should have been killed before, but he got lucky. When he had been thrown into that volcano, he had been able to call upon his armor before he was fried. Then the heat amplified his powers and made it easy for him to get back up. Lucky, he had arrived just in time. After he had defeated that bug, Mars had just fainted. Ryo thought he had frightened her, so he had transformed out of his armor. He still had some things to explain to her, but for now he had finally gained her friendship. He laid his head back on the wall and closed his eyes, totally worn out. As Ryo watched over Mars, he swore he would never let anything happen to her.
Hello! Wow, I think this chapter turned out great! I think Ryo fans will enjoy it. But don't get your hopes up about him and Raye. I still don't know where that's going. But we'll see. Anyway, hope you read my next chapter. Bye!
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