lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! Now how many people thought I was gonna skip this week? Now how many people realized that this fic is going to be one year old come next Friday? Oh wait... I think I said something last week but oh well. I'm so excited that this fic's gonna be a year old seeing as it's one of my babies. Now for the chapter to begin!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

Chapter Thirty Four

Most people would have frowned at the idea of a knife being used against a sword but she hadn't thought to grab a sword from one of the soldiers that had fallen earlier. Even if she had thought to grab it, what good would it have done her when her future had said so clearly that there was a knife in her hand? She would have lost it somewhere between there and here and she really didn't want to have bothered with that before or even after she had gotten Wolfram away from his own death sentence.

No, it was just better that she die while her brother and the others could have their chances to live on.

She couldn't begin to explain why she twisted away whenever he tried to hit her stomach with his fist whenever he chose to abandon his sword or why she had thrown her arms in front of her abdomen to take the blow of the sword. She could feel the warm blood pouring from her wounds as the fire spread. Soon the building would fall and they both would die but something wasn't ready for that to happen.

Talbot laughed as he swung the sword, watching as his sister dodged and stepped to the side when she threw a chair at him, hearing it crash against the burning wall. "You're not thinking, sister. You're just acting on your body's own demands for survival." Talbot informed her. "Forget your fear. You're not free if you're afraid."

Even if she held no fear, she knew that she'd never be free. It had been her soul marked by the Originators and it would always be her body that was battered and broken regardless of which path in life she took. She had just been fortunate in this life that she had chosen her fate rather than chance one of Yuri's people deciding to make her vanish like so many times before. If she had to endure one more act of torture by them, she knew she'd be broken for good. She couldn't accept that Yuri would know something had happened but would be powerless to discover the reasoning. "If you can accept your fear then you'll be free." Nieve told him as she crouched down.

"I'm impressed that you're not screaming how you want to go home."

"And that, dear brother, is because I've finally realized something."

"What's that?"

"I am home."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

The air was almost unbearable to breathe as Conrart ran through the streets, going where the unseen force was leading him. He could smell the scent of burning hair and flesh mixing in with the smell of burning wood as the houses and businesses were destroyed. No doubt that Yuri would help in rebuilding Shin Makoku much to the ire of those that felt that he should stay hidden away in the castle.

His thoughts occasionally drifted to the question of how Yuri had known about him and Nieve. Hadn't they been careful enough to keep Yuri from knowing? Had somebody seen them and felt the need to report them or had Yuri seen with his own eyes? In either case, why hadn't he said anything? Had he been waiting for something?

"Conrart."

The brunette stopped and stared at the man that stood before him, seeing the familiar grateful smile that he knew. It was behind that smile that the other man's displeasures were boiling and threatening to destroy everything that was within his grasp. "Jeremiah." Conrart breathed softly. "I need to pass."

"No. Why did you let me die, Conrart? I waited for you."

"I saw the memory! I felt what you felt!"

Anger flashed in Jeremiah's crimson eyes as he looked at his former lover. "You love her but you refuse to admit it knowing that you've impregnated her." Jeremiah said softly.

"There's no proof of that yet."

"Don't lie!" Jeremiah shouted, his voice sending chills down Conrart's spine. "You impregnated her! He won't kill you but I will!"

Conrart drew his blade, watching as the man prepared himself. He wasn't a soldier thus no sword had been buried with him. "Jeremiah, stop it!" Conrart shouted as he dodged the man's attacks and retaliated with his own. "You don't want to do this! I know that much!"

"Do you even know what this damned country has done to us? Done to my very soul?" Jeremiah shouted back, his voice reflecting anger. "If she doesn't die by her own hand then it'll continue on! They'll kill her themselves and no one will be the wiser!"

"Whatever's going on, Jeremiah, I can protect her!"

Conrart hissed in pain as he was shoved by the dead man, throwing his uniform jacket to the ground before the flames could burn his arm too badly. The nerves screamed at him, joining with the pain in his arm that he already felt. "You don't realize that for the past four thousand years they've been making us vanish. They've been taking us away, Conrart Weller, and torturing us until we die!" Jeremiah hissed. "Let her die. If you want to save her, then let her die like this. If she doesn't die this night then they will come and steal her away. They are our father's shame. He thought he could end it with me and he failed to see that his other son bore one eye like mine and Nieve's."

"Your father…"

"His family has destroyed us. Let her die if you want to save her."

Conrart smirked slightly before answering, "I loved you once, but my Jeremiah died and with his death brought the woman that I love and the mother of my son."

The two charged at each other and with a single swing, Conrart continued on as Jeremiah's body fell to the ground with his head rolling only a few feet from his body. There was still a pain in his heart from having to put Jeremiah back in his grave but he couldn't in good conscience allow him to keep walking.

The unknown force led him towards the outskirts and he froze when he saw a house burning. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen the other houses and businesses burning as he ran through the capital but this house was different and he could tell exactly why.

Nieve was inside.

Without thinking, the brunette rushed inside just as the wood cracked and the entire structure collapsed on top of them.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Yuri resisted the urge to draw back as he listened to the scream that suddenly left Maria's lips. Diego swept the small girl up into his arms, making shushing sounds as the dozens of eyes focused on the scene. "He said she wouldn't die!" Maria screamed. "He promised she wouldn't die!"

Diego adjusted his sister in his arms, softly patting her back as he worked to soothe her. "Maria, por favor." Diego murmured. "Hush now. Shush. Shhh."

Yuri felt his stomach twist as he listened to the little girl screaming, his hand immediately finding Wolfram's. He glanced over at Lady Celi and saw the tears beginning to gather as the little girl's words sank in. Suddenly a chill went through his body and on impulse, he looked up in time to see the small white flakes fall. "Snow?" Wolfram asked softly, his eyes holding bewilderment.

"Nieve." Yuri said with a small smile before looking serious again. "Have the uninjured soldiers go down and check for survivors once the fires die down more. I want some of the medics to go along to treat the ones that can't be moved right away. Anybody that's injured but can be moved need to be brought up here immediately."

"Yes sir!"

"What about Conrart?" Lady Celi asked. "He went down there to get Nieve."

Their eyes focused on the crying girl as she sobbed into her brother's neck. "She and Nieve are different people." Diego said softly. "Well, they were."

Until he saw his sister's body, Yuri knew that he wouldn't accept that his sister was gone and there was nothing to make him believe that Cornart was gone as well. He closed his dark eyes tightly for a moment, promising that if two of the people he cherished most would be safe from harm then he'd keep from being upset at the two. Even if he did feel a bit betrayed and wanted to yell at them. If they could come back then there would be nothing to yell about. He'd be okay with everything they threw at him if they could just come through those doors and smile at them all.

lostmoonchild: *hides behind wall of pillows* And fire when ready! So yeah, next week I think I'll post an extra chapter or two. Will Nieve and Conrart survive or is there no hope left for them? Well, we're gonna have to wait until next week's chapter of "Summer Snow" so read and review!