The snow was falling from the Heavens above when Yuri and Shu found themselves in the white forest. His wounds began to paint the ground beneath him red, and, Yuri, who was pressing her palm against his stomach to provide as a tourniquet to the bleeding, began to erratically shake from the frigid conditions.

"Y-Yuri," Shu panted heavily as he fell to the ground. Yuri was dragged along with him, his arm heavy in contrast to her body. "G-go, leave me," he said in a fervent voice as blood fused up his throat.

Yuri trembled from the wounds pressed deep into her back and looked at Shu in disgust. "N-no I won't leave you!" She protested in absolution, her tears freezing to her cheeks.

Shu gritted his teeth as he looked about to inspect their situation. "Shit.." He mumbled, struggling to pull himself up as Yuri tried to help. "I-I can't...!" He replied in a murmur before falling to the ground again. This time, his coughs spewed out a good few tablespoons of blood from his body. Yuri was overcome in grief and felt her sadness drizzling down her face.

"Shu get up! Get up!" She cried frantically as her weak arms attempted to pull him to his feet. "Y-you're not gonna die and I'm not gonna leave you!" Her voice screamed aloud.

Shu ran his palm against her cheek in an effort to calm her down as he gave her a loving expression. It was strange, even in their unfortunate circumstance, his crisp blue eyes managed to stand out from the blizzard around them. Yuri panted rapidly as she stared at them for a good few seconds. She couldn't tell much about her own feelings, but, when she looked to Shu, he seemed to confess too easily.

After a moment, Yuri glanced up to the dreary midnight sky and back to Shu. Was she okay dying like this? She wasn't positive, but one thing was for sure. As long as she was with Shu, she began to realize it didn't matter if she did.

Something rang different for Shu, who, with a loud cry, pulled himself up from the snow like a walking corpse. He wrapped his arm around Yuri's shoulder as she followed behind him. She felt as though she was carrying the weight of the world; the conditions were unbearable as she struggled to blink through the frozen constellations on her lashes.

"Y-you're going to f-freeze," Yuri heard Shu say to her as she dragged him along the way. "T-take off..take off my sweater," he said in an insisting voice as Yuri shook her head.

"I-I'm okay," her voice shuttered, vividly affected by the harsh December snow. Shu glanced to her skin's purple hue and panted heavily now.

"D-damn you Yuri...take it..!" He pleaded loudly, falling to his knees and pulling the sweater from himself. Yuri could see a few frozen teardrops lingering in the corners of his eyes and reluctantly accepted it. The ice frozen to her arms ached terribly, and, though cold, the sweater seemed to help shield her fragile arms and chest from the elements.

Shu sat there, his knees sunk deep into the snow as he panted desperately for air. There was something glistening up in the sky from their position, and both Shu and Yuri could see it from their position under the treetops. It was of red hue, and, had they known a traitor was among them, perhaps they would've run.

Shu glanced around to search for a single ray of life; his vision was blurred, and, turning back to Yuri, he stared down at his knees.

"Shit..." He whispered before aggressively nagging her arm. "We-we have to go..!" He shouted forcefully as he pulled Yuri and himself to their feet.

Yuri stared at him, baffled at his behavior. "S-Shu you're going to hurt yourself!" Yuri screamed as he began to drag her along behind him. She tried yanking him back in an attempt to offer him support.

"Yuri stop!" His voice shouted back in repose; it cracked as she recognized tears rolling down his face. Shu pulled her along behind him as the smell of smoke filled the trees and pathway. Fear sank in and Yuri began to realize his discovery.

"A-ah..! Shi-shit...!" He cried, stumbling over his feet as he fell again; Yuri attempted to lighten his burden and caught his arms. "Y-Yuri...please..please...g-get yourself out of here..." He pleaded as he looked into her eyes. They reflected a terrible sight; Shu could see the treetops catching fire inevitably and an overwhelming amount of fear sank in. Yuri could feel it too from the sudden burst of heat that swept along, and began to cling tightly to his hands.

"Shu....I-I'm not gonna leave you!" She screamed again; mustering up an unusual amount of strength, Yuri pulled Shu to his feet again as tree branches began falling. The edges had tingling amounts of ash on them as they fell.

"Y-Yuri!" He shouted again, pushing himself over her back to guard her from an oncoming branch. It hit his back and knocked them both into the ankle deep snow, causing a loud yelp from the party. Yuri's wrist fell against a sharp rock and caused her to release a terrible cry. Shu laid beside her, his eyesight hazy as he glanced back at the oncoming fire in horror.

Yuri looked to her hand and arm, blood spraying from the wound. She began to hysterically sob as Shu looked back to her and pulled the sleeve of his sweater down. "C-come on..!" He shouted, reaching for her arm as Yuri fought through her pain and lifted the two of them up. The heat from the fire grew more intense, and as they struggled through the ice and snow, Yuri began to uncontrollably cough.

"S-Shu..I can't...b-breathe!" She coughed again as Shu limped and pulled her desperately along. He moved his hand from a tourniquet and tore away a piece of his shirt, pressing it against her nose.

The fires grew more intense around them, and, before Shu's very eyes, he began to see tree trunks fall around them. Yuri did her best to cover the scent from her lungs as the fire raged, but as another one crashed from above, she did her best to throw Shu in front of her.

"Y-Yuri!" He screamed aloud as Yuri fell forward into the snow. Aspects of the branch crashed onto the back of her dress, tearing the back as she struggled upwards.

"I-I can't get up!" Her voice screamed out helplessly as Shu's eyes went wide. He immediately threw himself back towards her, and, struggling through his pain, tore the branch from Yuri's body. Tears stung her face as she winced from the slits in the legs now.

Shu pulled her back and fought through the blood, sweat and tears, dragging her along beside him. The fires caught up to them and the path behind. Shu struggled to suppress the panic attack raging on inside of him as Yuri pulled him ahead. Her feet were freezing, and her hands now pressed tightly against his side.

Weary and broken, they struggled to the edge of the forest where a creek had frozen over. Most of the ice was melting in the heat of the blaze, and, as Yuri attempted to run with Shu from the fire, her feet slipped along the rocks. The water was so cold she let out a helpless cry. Shu found himself falling on his hands through the ice as Yuri attempted to catch him. His hands cut on the rocks, causing him to murmur blasphemies beneath his breath.

Yuri could see their blood streaming down the river and flooding the ice. Her eyes were wide at the sight as she gripped tightly to Shu's arm, trying to help him up. "Shu..!" She cried, trying to lift him up.

Yuri could feel her body tingling from the sensation of hyperthermia, dragging Shu to his feet again. Her feet no longer stung from the cold; she could feel them going numb from the frigid weather. Shu held tightly to Yuri as though he was utterly afraid she would disappear; his grip was tight enough that it brought senses back to her arms.

"I-I'm so cold.." Yuri sputtered out helplessly, Shu seemed to be pulling her along now. He held tightly to her as Yuri strained to walk. He'd grown heavy, but somehow, Yuri allowed him to press his weight against her. The fires were raging as Shu fought through his tears.

"Yuri...y-you gotta...gotta promise me..." He coughed, blood soaking his chin as he struggled to keep his head up. "Y-you gotta promise me y-you're gonna keep going.." He said quietly as Yuri could see the man crying. "I'm..." His voice seemed to break as Yuri's eyes widened.

"I...I'm.." He stopped mid-sentence as he sank to his knees again. His weight was too much for Yuri, and as she caught sight of an empty area, she crashed into the snow alongside him. Shu wouldn't move, and her eyes grew great with fear.

"S-Shu..?" She muttered softly. At this rate, Yuri could sense her own tears shedding far worse than before. "Shu!" She screamed loudly, glancing back at the fire as she shook him greatly.

His hand fell out from beneath him as he bled profoundly. Yuri was lost in a sense of dreams and reality; her adrenaline was rushing as she turned to the heat and coughed violently from the smoke.

"I could fall...by his side..and he and I could die here...consumed by flames...but I can't leave him...we'll either die here or die trying to escape.." A voice in her head lingered about as she desperately fought to stay awake.

"No...I won't let him die here...! I won't let Shu die all alone...!"

"I won't let you be all alone anymore!" She cried, pulling him up against the wounds piercing through her back. Shu was heavy; the burden was cumbersome. Yuri's eyelids longed to close and fall to his side. But, somehow, she mustered up a great deal of courage from deep in her chest. Maybe it was love, maybe it was the shallow prayers she'd been running through her mind to her mother. Whatever the case, Yuri was balancing an unconscious Shu on her body. The strife was terrible, and her whole body felt as though she was facing death.

Their love for each other had grown; Yuri recognized it as she walked through hell for this man, holding him with all strength to protect him from this suffering. Her heart longed to sacrifice itself for his security, desired to die for Shu's life. Shu lied asleep against her back as Yuri propped him up. Deep down, through his gravest nightmares, Shu could feel it too.

His affection was undeniable; he held favor for this woman, and, deep down beneath his skin, could feel a burning sense of love in his chest. There was immense terror of losing her. He fought an inner battle of turmoil to wake himself up and carry her the rest of the way. However, he couldn't.

Yuri coughed in labor as she stumbled through the burning ashes of the trees. Her body pushed itself to the edge; she collapsed a multitude of times after Shu'd gone unconscious, pulling herself up again in desperation.

Her lungs were burning; when the sight of a tiny flicker of light timidly shined through the bushels of trees, Yuri drove herself farther.

"Almost there...almost there mama...help me..help me..help me.." She begged as blood thrusted its way up her throat.

Shu was a sign of everything Yuri held dear; when she collapsed on the outskirts of the Sakamaki mansion, her body pleaded for her to go no more. Her throat stung and she could barely find the words to say; Shu lied beside her as she felt her eyelids grow heavy.

"Just...a moment of rest..." She thought to herself as the fire escaped back into the woods, masses of snow weeping from heavenly intervention. Her eyes lingered about to Shu, who was a blurry mess now. Her fingers trembled as she reached out and brushed her frozen palm against his cheek.

"Mmm..." She muttered softly before her body gave out. Yuri laid there helplessly in the snow, her body worn and beaten. Their love had done miracles for each other, and as it seemed all the hope faded from their worlds, there was a savior.