Burning

What happens when something scorches and begins to burn?

What happens when that burn dies down? Someone has to spark and ignite it again.

But this burning isn't the type of burning you'd commonly suspect.

This is the burning of a friendship into nothing but ashes-or is it?

Written by Violetofen4.

Chapter 1 - Kramer
It had been several years after Richtofen returned.

It's like that hole in my heart was never there. But for some reason I think it still is.

Because he's still not the same.

"Oliver, off you go to school!" I called. My son moaned and got up, trudging towards the door.

I smiled. I loved school growing up. My son must've inherited the hate of school from my father. I shudder, but shake the thought away.

Richtofen, who lives next door, is sitting and reading the news on his porch. I carefully write in my journal.

Edward, his grandson (named after him by Xena during Richtofen's disappearance) raced after Oliver.

"Oli! Wait for me!" The two boys, about the same age, laughed and walked down the road, Rosemary, now 20 years old, drove herself to work with Xena, and Skye came with them today.

Adelina was a school teacher. She enjoyed her work. She left earlier this morning to prepare the classroom for learning. 3rd grade, after all, is always full of curious children.

Me myself, I was an engineer for the military. It was 1960, but I still had it in me. Richtofen did the same but in a different division. It's just what we were good at.

Today, I assume he has work off.

I wave. He waves back, but I can tell he's 'in the zone.' As usual. Reading something that caught his eye. He's been troubled about something recently but he won't tell me. I do hope voice parasites aren't bothering him again. That was a mess before, and I don't ever want to see that terrible thing happen to anyone. Ever.

"Something wrong?" I asked from my porch.

"Ahhhhh, no...don't vorry about me." he said, eyes glossing with no emotion.

"But I will if you're talking as if something shriveled up and died." I managed to joke.

"Vell, you know how zhere were 1000 groups, and we...we were 935?" he asked.

"Yeah? What about it?" I really didn't want to talk about 935.

"Vell, 936 was alvays out, trying to beat us vith zheir inventions?"

"...yes?"

"Zhey're shtill around. Zey found Elric. And zey killed him."

I could tell he was in shock, so I hurried over and sat with him. I carefully read over the article. It was true. Elric was dead.

I didn't know what to tell him, to make him feel better. I couldn't, because Elric had been my friend too.

Chapter 2 - Richtofen
My brother, dead? Those words flung around in my mind, leaving me with one answer:

936.

My hands clenched in hatred, burning passion to avenge my brother took over. But I resisted the thought of being a killer, but it seemed oozingly satisfying. They had been the ones who hired Peter to shove me in the teleporter, scarring me for life and ruining me with terrible voice parasites.

It'd be revenge for several others that the voices they graciously gave to me caused.

Maxis' death, Schuster's, Groph's, his seperation from his family and friends.

Then it hit him. They had also sent the americans to terrorize and kill off his hometown. Every last one of them except Xena, who had somehow managed to live.

They killed Lilith.

Kramer suddenly grew nervous, seeing the hate burning in my eyes. The terrible, terrible hatred that was boiling inside of me. I stood up and went inside, locked the door behind me and wept for my brother. I didn't want Kramer to see me like this, I'll go to that horrible mental hospital again. And I don't want that.