Tales of Vesperia 1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

_Three days. That's how long he had been here...at least, that's how long he thought he'd been here. Pain tended to blur memories, after all. He bit his lip, swallowing back a whine as his mind regained consciousness. His entire body throbbed...but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. It wasn't as bad as it had been before. He could take it, just like always. _

_For a moment, his mind brought up a memory, one that he didn't really want to relive, and he let out a hiss. The memory of the pain that had blossomed in his stomach when that blasted knife had lodged itself in him was just as vivid as it had been when it happened. Yeah, this pain was nothing like that. Still, it was enough to make his mind all fuzzy and he was finding it hard to focus on something for too long._

_A door opened, and finally, someone entered the room. He opened his dark eyes, just barely. He'd been on the recieving end of kidnappers before. He knew how to act; as long as you look unconscious, they leave you alone._

_"I thought you said we needed..." a nasally voice suddenly said. There was the sound of something metal being placed on a table, and a chuckle. _

_"I know what I said." another voice, much more calm and collected than the first. Footsteps echoed on the walls, indicating movement, and something flashed across his vision, but he couldn't tell what it was. "Think of it this way. Use a small fish to get the big fish. With this little minnow, we'll managed to land the big prize." _

_"The Commandant, right?" the first voice asked, an odd excitement evident in the voice. _

_He felt his blood run cold. They wanted Flynn?_

_"Oh, look who's awake~" the second voice suddenly said, and he realized his mistake too late as a hand buried itself in his hair, and forced his head back. His eyes flew open, and after a moment focused on the face in front of him, just as it had the times before. _

_"...W-What the hell do you want with me?!" he managed to force through closed teeth, feeling his dark eyes burn slightly as he glared at the man who held him. _

_"I've heard a lot about you." the man in front of him said, letting his hair go, and he forced his eyes to follow the man. "The rumors are that you're the strongest man on Terca Lumereis. Even a fall off of the highest point in the world didn't kill you. You get up again, and again..."_

_"...so what? You want a piece of me? Unhook these chains and I'll give it to you!" the man circling him laughed. _

_"I'm not that foolish, boy. It's just interesting to me. Your skill with a sword, your friendships with the Princess and Commandant..." the man muttered, going over to the table and picking something up. Returning, the man used what he had picked up to lift his head up, forcing the chained man to look him in the eyes. "Many claim that you're unbeatable. Unbreakable..." _

_"Unbreakable? Hah. I like the sou-" The knife suddenly cut into his skin, just under his chin, effectively cutting off what he had been saying. He let out a breath through his nose, dark eyes narrowing as the knife was pulled away. "...w-what the hell do you want with Flynn."_

_"Oooh, straight to the point, are we?" the man asked, a grin forming on a twisted face as the knife was placed on his arm. "Such a simple reason, really..." _

_He felt his eyes widen as the knife dug into his skin again, this time with much more force. He was forced to bite back a scream. _

_"I want to break the unbreakable." The man whispered in his ear, pulling away once again. "You claim to be unbeatable. He claims to be unbreakable. It's not hard to see that you feed off each other." the knife was brought across his face, opening a neat cut just under his eye. "So if I break one...the other will fall neatly in my hands..." _

_The pain began again, and the man said no more as he proceeded to assault his chained captive. Said captive bit back yet another scream, gritting his teeth. He could not give in...he had to keep it together. There was no way he would let this man break him, just to get to Flynn. He had to protect Flynn, that was what he did...Flynn had managed to accomplish so much in these past few years...There was no way he'd let this guy get..._

_In the end, it wasn't the pain that made his consciousness fade, but the loss of blood. He could feel the darkness tugging at the edges of his vision, finding it so hard to even focus on floor. He felt his head fall forward, the pain stopping as his vision swam. Something dyed red entered the blurred vision and lifted his head up. It took several moments for him to realize that it was the knife that had just been used to slice open his skin...but the thought faded quickly as he tried to focus on the face of his attacker, the man who seemed to only want to use him as a new toy. It was no use, his vision was too compromised, and all he could make out was a grin. His head was released, allowed to fall to his chest, and he barely heard the groan that left his throat as he clamped his eyes closed to avoid the swirling colors. _

_There was laughter as his consciousness faded even further, and he barely had the time to think 'bastard' before the darkness started claiming his thoughts. He barely heard the man speak one last time before he was completely lost. _

_"...You're mine, Lowell."_


	2. Chapter One: Vanishing

_**AN: So I left the prologue on a cliff-hanger...kinda. This chapter isn't much better, as it was written in the middle of the night. I just had the urge to work on it, so I did. **_

_**I'm not sure I got Flynn's personality on the ball, and I tried to keep him as formal as possible, but I figured as stressed as he would be, he would actually be rather informal, and spacy. **_

_**Anyways, here's Chapter One: Vanishing. **_

* * *

_**x**_

* * *

**Chapter One: Vanishing**

Blue eyes stared out at the small encampment that was set up around him, taking in the scenery of the little group of soldiers that loitered around. The day was late, the temperature quite fair, and a very light wind. It had been a perfect day; the sun had shone in a clear sky, lazy clouds drifting by and creating shade when needed, and that light wind cooled the skin when it got warm.

However, to Flynn Scifo, the day was far from perfect. In fact, the past 2 weeks had been torture for the Commandant...worry eating holes in his stomach, and lack of sleep playing tricks with his mind.

With a snarl, an armor plated fist found a friend in a nearby tree. The pain distracted him, and he knew instantly that his knuckles had broken. That was just great. He drew his hand away from the dented tree, flexing the fingers and wincing. Just something else he needed...

Flynn sighed, closing his eyes. How had this all started? How could someone just vanish like that? It was impossible, to vanish without a trace...but somehow...somehow...

His best friend was gone. It had been almost two weeks since he last heard anything about Yuri Lowell.

The first few days hadn't been too bad, Flynn remembered. He had thought nothing of it, because Yuri was just a few days late. Yuri was good at clocking in at around the same time, just to distract Flynn, and give him a reprise of his duties as Commandant. Yuri was impulsive, and often got distracted...he rarely ever thought things through, and this often led to him getting injured...or into some sort of trouble.

Flynn knew this very well.

Yuri was very good at coming at the same time...and over the past few years, Flynn realized that he could predict when Yuri would come. Around the same time, every week, the window behind him would creak open. Flynn would be finishing up his paperwork, and would turn, and there Yuri would be, a lazy grin on his face as he stepped through the window. Sometimes the raven-haired swordsman would be injured; a bandage on his cheek, or a cut on his arm...and Flynn would make a fuss and send him straight down to the infirmary. Yuri would always laugh, and say it was nothing. He never seemed to care. It was..._routine._

Yuri was never more than two days late. So when the fourth day rolled around, and Yuri still had not opened the window behind him, Flynn found himself pacing, a gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. Border-lining a week, and Flynn was able to place that gnawing feeling.

Worry.

Flynn was worried about Yuri. Flynn was always worried about Yuri, due to the man's impulsive nature, and tendency to try to do things on his own...but this worry was different. Flynn couldn't help but have a feeling that something horrible had happened to the man. Had he gotten in some sort of trouble? Perhaps he was injured...

Flynn had asked for a small leave, telling himself that this was nothing to be terribly worried about, that he would probably find Yuri in Dhangrest. With that in mind, and his leave granted, Flynn and his second in command Sodia (a bit grudgingly, he had to admit) had set out for the guild city. He silently begged that he'd find Yuri there, because he didn't want to think that something had happened to his friend. Besides, what possibly could have happened to Yuri? He had saved the world...surely there was nothing that could get him down.

_"Flynn? What are you doing here?"_ Karol, the leader of Brave Vesperia, had seemed surprised, as well as glad when Flynn had shown up at their door. He had been allowed in, and noticed that the whole place was a mess.

_"What happened here? Oh, yes, Is Yuri here? He failed to show up at the capital this past week." _Flynn had asked, trying to stay on track, but at the mention of Yuri, both members of the guild in front of him seemed to fidget.

_"Oh dear, we were hoping you'd know..." _Judith, the Krityan, had muttered, crossing her arms. The sinking feeling in Flynn's stomach grew as Karol went on to say that they hadn't seen him since he had set out for Zaphias.

_"Tha kid was damned determined ta walk this time." _a third voice had startled Flynn, and he had turned to see Former Captain Schwann sitting in the corner of the room, a rather large bottle of wine next to him. He looked sober enough, but the way his hands shook, Flynn had been able to tell he was borderline drunk. Vaugely, Flynn had wondered what the man was doing there, but didn't dwell on the idea for very long.

_"It's rather lonely here without him...why don't we help you look for him?" _Judith had offered, and grudgingly, Flynn agreed. The next few days was spent asking around Dhangrest...but with very little luck.

It was around this time that Flynn realized he was having nightmares. Though he could not really remember what they were about, he would always wake up in a cold sweat with the feeling of desperation and escape. Flynn thought nothing of it, shaking off the feeling, as he got up and drank some warm tea, and ask Sodia if any news had come in about Yuri.

It didn't take more than a few days to realize that Yuri had not been to Dhangrest since his disappearance. Flynn, along with the members of Brave Vesperia, moved on from Dhangrest. Sodia had the idea to go back to the captial, that perhaps they had merely missed him. It was as good of an idea as any, and they went with it, stopping in Halure briefly to ask Lady Estellise if the swordsman had come by.

_"Yuri's missing?!" _was her reply, as she hurried around gathering up random things_ "We have to find him, then!"_ and no matter what Flynn said, the Princess insisted on coming along.

_"Geeze, he's more trouble than he's worth..."_ Rita Mordio had muttered, who had been staying with Estellise as well. The mage obviously wasn't about to be left out, and grudgingly agreed to accompany them as well.

Yuri had not returned to Zaphias, that much was obvious. The Lower Quarter hadn't seen him, which was odd, because the man _always_ checked on the Lower Quarter.

* * *

_**x**_

* * *

_"Sir? May I...speak with you?"_ The night before they were set to leave to continue the search, Sodia had asked to talk to him.

_"What is it, Sodia?" Flynn asked, crossing his arms. It was a bit chilly out, and he had already shed his armor. _

_"Why are we still looking, Sir?" she asked suddenly, taking him off guard. He blinked at her, almost in shock. He knew that Sodia and Yuri had never really gotten along, but this was taking it to another level._

_"Because there is the possibility that he is in danger..." Flynn tried to say, and she turned on him, her knuckles white as she dug her fingernails into her palm._

_"He's a criminal! If he's in danger, then he deserves it!" she exclaimed, her face livid. Flynn sighed heavily...knowing that this was something he had to explain to her. _

_"Sodia." he said, his voice firm. The effect was almost instant, her fury vanishing almost completely. "Yuri is my friend...I cannot just leave it be. We've known each other for far longer than you would believe..." he paused and let out another sigh. "Yes, he was a criminal, but those crimes have been pardoned."_

_"But sir...he killed numerous people!" she tried to argue, and he realized that she brought a good point...a point he could work with. He gave her an almost sad smile. _

_"Have we not done the same?" Sodia went quiet at that, her violet eyes widening in realization. He let it sink in before continuing. "Sodia, the hands of the knights, the hands of the Empire are far more dirty than one man's. The wars that were fought, the lies that have been told...these are the things that I've been fighting to fix...trying to right the wrongs that have been done..." _

_"I understand that...but..." she started to say, but her voice shook. The conviction she had earlier was not present anymore, it was fading. Flynn watched her and thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully. _

_"Sodia, what do you believe a criminal is?" he finally asked after a few moments. She blinked at him before squaring her shoulders._

_"A criminal is a person who violates the law on purpose to intentionally harm people or property." she recited. "They are people who hold the law as if it is nothing, and should be punished for doing so until they learn that it is wrong."_

_"I see..." Flynn muttered, nodding and closing his eyes. A couple of years ago, he would given the same answer...but now..."Let me ask you this, Sodia. Do you believe a criminal would regret his or her actions? Once they got out of jail, do you believe they would try to atone for the sin that they had been put in for?" He watched her carefully, seeing the wheels turning in her mind as her eyes narrowed at the question. _

_"...No sir." she finally answered. "A criminal would not do actions such as those..."_

_"Then Yuri Lowell is no criminal." Flynn responded with conviction. He watched the Second-In-Command open her mouth to argue with him again, and shook his head, raising a hand to stop her. "Yuri may not show it, but I know him. He regrets the actions that he took to better this world..." Flynn paused, looking down at his own hand. "He bloodied his hands so that I wouldn't have too...so that I could move up, to move ahead and do what we had promised that we'd do. Long ago, we promised each other that we would do whatever it took to better this world, to fix the system, no matter what happened. And I know...I know he's not happy with the path that he had to take." he paused, closing his eyes and taking a breath. "He believes that he had no other choice...and do to that reasoning, he's done everything in his abilities...to atone for the sins that he's committed." He opened his eyes, locking them with Sodia's. "Do you remember when Alexei kidnapped the Princess?"_

_"Yes sir." was the immediate reply, and a look of anger crossed her face. Flynn tilted his head back to look up at the darkening sky. _

_"I remember as well...I remember how frustrated I was with Yuri for not protecting her...but it wasn't until almost a year later that Yuri finally opened up and told me what really happened..." Flynn paused. "Alexei decided to use Lady Estellise against her will, and only now do I realize how traumatizing that was for both her and Yuri." Flynn brought his head down, locking eyes with Sodia once again. "Lady Estellise begged Yuri to kill her."_

_Sodia let out a gasp as her face paled. "Sh-She...what...?"_

_"But he didn't. He told me later that...he was prepared too, if there was no other way to free her from Alexei's control...but...only if there was no other way. And since then...He...does everything in his power to make sure that she's okay, that she's still where she needs to be, that she has everything that she needs, no matter how ridiculous the item." Flynn paused again, his eyes narrowing slightly. "It took him a whole year to come to me about that, and he told me that he would have been ready to accept full responsibility for the action, and any other actions he had done." He closed his eyes. "This isn't the only instance, Sodia. Every spare gald he has, he splits between the Lower Quarter, and a small orphanage in one of the port towns. He makes sure his guild work helps at least one person who cannot work themselves. He helps towns prepare for winters...he stands up for those who cannot. He helps those who need it. He might have done wrong in the past, but that wrong was towards a good, and a criminal would not atone like he has."_

_"I...I..." Flynn opened his eyes, focusing on Sodia. She was floundering, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to figure out what to say. He shook his head._

_"There's another reason, Sodia." Flynn said softly, before she could say anything else. "The other reason that I am still looking for him, even now...is that he's everything I can't be, Sodia. He's chaos, while I am structure. He is driven by impulse, and I am driven by thought...but most importantly, he can do the things I cannot." he paused, letting out a sigh. "Sitting in my office, there are things that I do not know of. I don't know what goes on in the outskirts of town. I don't know of the hardships that happen there...I can't see that. But he can. He tells me of the things that need to be fixed, and I try...I try to fix them. And I know, if I cannot fix them, then he does what ever he can to fix it himself. Do you understand, Sodia? That is why I will not stop until I find him...be him dead or alive."_

_"...I...Yes. I believe I do understand now...I'm sorry for doubting you, Sir..." _

* * *

**_x_**

* * *

Flynn was glad. He didn't need conflict between the two anymore. It was good that Sodia had finally realized that despite his actions, Yuri was a good man. Flynn knew though, that this revelation did not mean that they would get along right off the bat...but it had been a start.

"Sir?" Speaking of Sodia...Flynn let out a sigh, and turned his head to look at the Second-In-Command that now stood next to him, looking at him with worried violet eyes.

"Sodia..." Flynn muttered, and paused, blinking at how undeniably _tired_ his voice sounded. The woman beside him shifted her weight, her eyes narrowing.

"Sir...you can't keep this up for much longer..." she muttered, but he turned his head to look back at the encampment.

"...Aspio...Capua Nor...Capua Torim..." Flynn muttered under his breath, his blue eyes narrowing.

"...Sir?"

"Nodripolica...even Zaude..." Flynn let out a sigh, his shoulders sinking. "Every place...every place is empty...no one's seen him...where..." He looked over at Sodia, and felt his face twist. He knew he looked like a broken man to her, but she still stood by him, with just as much conviction as before.

"Sir...You need to rest..." she said, worry tinting her voice and hesitantly placing a hand on the shoulder of his armor. He shook his head.

"No...I need to keep looking...I have to find him..." Flynn muttered, but she let out a sigh.

"Sir, we can continue the search in the morning." she insisted, chewing on the bottom of her lip. "With Lowell's tendency to wear darker colors, we have little...to no chance of finding him in the dark." He blinked at her, realizing he couldn't argue with that logic.

"...I suppose you're right..." he responded, unable to be shocked at how hollow his voice sounded. Sodia, however, did seem a little shocked, but she hid it well.

"Tomorrow, Princess Estellise will return with the members of Brave Vesperia." she said, and he blinked at her almost blankly. With a start, he realized that he didn't even remember why they had left. Sodia seemed to notice, and frowned. "They went to go check Deidon Hold...and if Lady Estellise sees you like this, she will not be happy..." She paused as the news sank in.

"Ah...that's right..." he muttered, almost lost.

"Sir, when was the last time you slept?" Sodia suddenly asked, and Flynn was once again blinking at her.

"Ah...that would be..." Flynn tried to think of when the last time he had actually let himself sleep was...but honestly...he couldn't remember. Sodia shook her head, taking his shoulders and pushing him towards his tent.

"Sir, I don't think Lowell would appreciate you making yourself sick looking for him." she said, the bite that had always been there when the woman was talking about Yuri still present, but muted.

"...That's true..." he muttered, letting himself be directed. "He'll probably punch me when we find him..." He felt Sodia tense slightly before she let go of his shoulders. Oh, they were at his tent... "Will you tell th-"

"Of course Sir." Sodia finished the sentence for him, violet eyes watching him before she turned to go tell the other soldiers to settle down for the night. "Please, get some rest."

With that, she was gone, and he was left alone in front of his tent. He scowled a bit and lifted the flap to the tent, walking in and letting the flap fall. Despite everything...Flynn hated being alone. Especially in a time like this.

Flynn made his way over to the bed, letting himself sigh, and relax just a bit. With a grunt, he started pulling off the armor...wincing as he pulled off the armored glove and took a look at the hand that he had injured. Yes, definitely broken. Flynn shook his head, lifting it to stare at the wood holding the fabric around him up.

What on earth could have happened? Where on earth had Yuri disappeared too? Where had he gone, to vanish for two weeks...no hide nor hair of him seen? Yuri wasn't the kind of person to disappear without a trace. It wasn't even near _that_ time of year...

The only thing Flynn could come up with was that he had been kidnapped. Even then, though, the people responsible had to be strong. Yuri was one of the strongest people on Terca Lumereis. Flynn himself had barely been able to beat him when they had their duel in front of Aurion. Yuri was hard to overpower. He was fast, he was graceful...and he packed a punch.

Flynn felt himself waver, the tent spinning slightly. Oh, that wasn't good...He really did need sleep. He leaned back, to take off his shoulder guards, but leaned too far and fell back onto the bed. With a grunt, he tried to lift himself up, but found he didn't even have enough strength to do that...so he resigned to laying there, rolling on his side. Perhaps this time...there...there wouldn't be any...any...

Flynn didn't even get a chance to finish the thought in his head before exhaustion completely caught up with him, dragging him into the darkness of sleep.

* * *

x

* * *

_Pain. Everywhere. That's all that existed right now. That and the harsh metal that attached his arms to the ceiling. He had long since given up trying to free his arms from this metal. It only caused him more pain, and that was something that he did not want. _

_He could hear footsteps, but just didn't have the energy to lift his head, to open his eyes. Besides, that only brought even more pain. _

_"Check 'em." a gruff voice cut through the darkness, and he could pinpoint where it was...who it was. It was one of his torturers. _

_Pain once again erupted as his head was jerked backwards roughly, and he couldn't suppress the hiss that issued from his clenched teeth. Someone forced an eye open, giving him even more pain. _

_The light...it hurt..._

_"Tsk. It took longer than I thought..." the voice muttered as his hair was let go. He found his eyes staying open, and as much as he wanted to close them, it wouldn't obey. His body had started to disobey his wishes. After a few moments, they finally complied, slipping closed. _

_Even closing his eyes hurt. _

_He wanted the pain to stop...but he knew he had to stay strong...it was so hard though. How long had it been since he was stuck here? How long had it been? He just hoped they weren't looking. That would put 'him' in danger. Too long...no one was coming..._

_"I'm surprised." another voice said, grating to the ears. A whine uttered from his throat, feeling his face twist slightly as his head was forced upward again. "Two weeks. We've been careful not to kill him, but still...that's more than twice as long as the last one lasted._

_Two weeks...that was it? That was the amount of time he'd been...subjected to this? That...that couldn't be right...but then again...his mind...focus...Even in unconsciousness, there was pain...why wouldn't it end? _

_A door opened, the sound like nails on a chalkboard, and he almost winced. But his body wouldn't cooperate. _

_"Yo, the dog's gone." a new voice said, and for a moment, he was confused. Dog? When had they talked about a dog..._

_It took him quite a few seconds to realize who they were talking about._

_"Dead?" the first voice asked. _

_"Nope. Damned thing escaped." _

_...he got away?...That was good. That was really good. Wait, why was it good that he'd gotten away? He couldn't think...oh...yes...One of them had gotten away from this..._

_This hell. _

_"Let it go, then." the second voice muttered, and his head was released. It flopped down against his chest, and the pain...the pain..._

_He wanted to scream. _

_"It'll aid us in the long run, anyways." _

_Why...why was this happening to him? Why wouldn't the pain stop...why did they continue with this..._

_"Looks like we're loosing him, Boss." The voices were starting to blur together. _

_He just wanted to get away. How...these people, he wanted to get away. Someone...anyone...take him away from this...This pain was too much. _

_It hurt to breath. It hurt to think. It hurt to move. It hurt when he was awake. It hurt when he was in darkness. No matter what, it hurt. Why? What did he do? He knew he hadn't been the best person in the world, but everything he had done was too..._

_"Let him go. No one's coming for him." _

_Every touch hurt. Molten liquid poured on his skin at every turn, every crevice of him. His arms burned, gravity pulling on them. Every inch of his body, fiery pain. He was certain his skin was boiling. It had to be. It had to...nothing hurt like this. Nothing. _

_"Once he slips away, we can use the body as bait. There's not much that can bring them back once they leave." _

_Leave?...yes...that was a good idea...He wanted to leave this place. He didn't care how it was. Death. Salvation. Rescue. It didn't matter. All that mattered was ending the pain. _

_All that mattered was...what? _

_Escape...he had to find an escape. That's what. How could he...Escape was impossible...Please, someone..._

_He wanted to leave this place. Wait, hadn't he just thought that? He couldn't remember...Escape..._

_How...how could he...escape...es...cape..._


	3. Chapter Two: Dieing Hope

_**So here's the next chapter. I'm a horrible person, I know, but...it progresses the story, I promise! **_

_**Don't kill me .**_

* * *

_**x**_

* * *

**Chapter Two: Dieing Hope  
**

_"Did you hear? He finally broke." _

Broke? What...what did that mean...where...where was he?

_"Really? After two weeks? Damn, that's not bad." _

_Voices...blurring together. How many?...He needed to get out...wanted out...how? Security...tight...his thoughts weren't...even coherent..._

Who?...where...where was this place? Why couldn't he see?

_"Yeah, I was surprised the guy lasted this long."_

_"He ain't fully gone yet?" _

_"Nope. Boss says we can have our fun now, though." _

_"Oh shit man, that's awesome." _

No...wait...that meant...more pain...no...anything but that...please...

_Voices...they wanted...more pain? No...he didn't...he didn't want anymore pain...he couldn't take it...he just couldn't..._

_"Lets get started then. What should we use first?" _

_"Hn...it's been a while since the whip's been used." _

No...no please...stop...

_No...no please...stop...please, don't..._

_The pain started up, fiery as ever. He could feel the whip seer into his back, into his front, into the scars and wounds that were already there...tearing open his skin bit by bit. A blurred laugh overshadowed by a scream..._

_It took him a few agonizing moments to realize that it had come from him. That scream had been his own...broken...battered...hoarse voice. _

_"Even broken he still screams?" _

_"Damn, that's just going to make this even more fun." _

_Seconds turned into agonizing minutes. Agonizing minutes turned into boiling hours. He couldn't...he just...couldn't anymore. It was...too much. _

_A vague memory appeared in his mind, of him swearing that he wouldn't break...that he would hold on..._

_He couldn't...Flynn...he couldn't do it anymore..._

My...my name? Who...who was this...why...

_"Aww...he's stopped screaming." _

_"Boss says it won't be long until he fully retreats." _

_Retreat?_ Retreat?

_Retreat...that...that would stop the pain...wouldn't it? _

_"I wonder if he can hear us..."_

_"Probably." _

_His head was pulled up, roughly, causing more of that agonizing feeling, and light was forced into his eyes. _

Focus...I need...I need to see...

_He scrunched his eyes closed again. The light...it hurt too much...pangs in his head, his eyelids...it hurt too much. _

_"Yup, he can still hear us."_

_Oh how he wanted them to be quiet...their voices grated on his ears...it hurt..._

Damnit...

_"I bet a dream would be nice about now...wouldn't it, kid?" _

_Right in his ear...stop..._

_"Wouldn't it be nice? Escaping into a dream world..." _

_"Dude, what are you doing?" _

_Dream...? Dream world..._

_"What I was told to do, so shut the hell up Mark." _

_"Okay okay..."_

_What...what did that mean? Dream..._

Dream? What..what are they trying...

_"I bet you're sick of this, aren't ya?" the voice was still in his ears, but for some reason, he couldn't help but focus on it...so intently. "All ya gotta do is dream, kid. This shit's not going to stop, so why put up with it? We're having far too much fun with you. We won't stop, and you know it."_

_Dream...that...This reality...was it reality? _

_His head was released, and he barely felt it slam limply against his bloodied chest. Dream...Retreat...that...that was a good...good idea. The pain...it would stop if he did that..._

No...don't...don't go...

_They were still whipping him...he could feel the agonizing pain ripping through his body. He didn't want this anymore. He wanted to escape. Dream...he couldn't feel pain in his dreams...they were his escape. That...that was his escape._

Don't...don't leave me...to...to feel this...alone...please...

* * *

_**x**_

* * *

_"Sir! Wake up, Sir!" _

_"Why's he thrashing around so much?!"_

_"Flynn! Please, it's okay! We're here! Please quit screaming!"_

_"Geeze! 'E's actin like sumthin's killen 'em..."_

_"Oh for crying out loud...Move out of the way!" _

_"Oh my..." _

_"Rita?!" _

_"Grant them thy undefiled purity...SPLASH!" _

Quite suddenly, Flynn found himself floundering, soaking wet, as a Splash spell was dumped on top of him. It was so sudden, that he shot straight up and rolled right off the cot that he had been sleeping on.

"Rita! That is not how you're supposed to wake someone up!"

Flynn let out a few coughs, stumbling to pull himself back up onto the cot as he tried to get the water out of his nose. Why on earth had they decided to wake up up like that? settling himself down on the now soaking wet cot, he shook his head free of water, using a hand to brush back said hair. He winced, pain shooting through the hand and he blinked down at it. That's right, the night before he had accidentally broken it...

"Well, nothing you guys were doing was working, and his screaming was annoying. He's awake now, right?"

Flynn blinked up at the people around him, noticing that it was the members of Brave Vesperia, along with Rita Mordio, Lady Estellise, Former Captain Schwann, or Raven as he prefered to be called now,and Sodia. He tilted his head a bit, blue eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the information. He had been screaming?

"...Why did you feel the need to use a Splash spell on me, Miss Mordio?" he said after a moment, calmly taking in the situation. He watched as everyone's face twisted into worry.

"You...don't know?" the Princess asked, tilting her head a bit, and sharing a look with the mage.

"Ya were screamin an thrashin in yer sleep." Raven shuffled a bit, scratching his ear in a manner that Flynn had learned was typical for him. "Twas like somethin was killin ya."

This was new information...had he been having a nightmare? That wouldn't have surprised him, but he didn't think that it was this bad. After a moment, he tried to remember what it had been he was dreaming about...but couldn't even recall that much.

"I...don't remember what it was about though..." Flynn muttered after a moment, shaking his head. There was a moment of silence, before someone shifted.

"Sir, this isn't the first time you've had these dreams." Sodia muttered, and Flynn turned his head to look at her, feeling the confusion on his face.

"It...isn't?" he asked, frowning and flexing his broken hand. He winced again, and this time, Lady Estellise took notice, gently taking the hand and looking it over before uttering a healing spell. The pain vanished after a moment, but there was a lingering twinge that Flynn was very sure didn't come from the hand.

"No sir. In fact, you've been having night terrors like that for the past week." Sodia responded tensely, shifting slightly. "I've managed to keep the most of the soldiers away from the tents though..."

"He has?!" All of a sudden, Lady Estellise had let go of his hand, and now gripped his shoulders, looking at his face. "Oh, Flynn! Why didn't you tell me! I wouldn't have left!" She took his face in her hands, and he flushed, trying to push her away. "I can tell you haven't been sleeping properly, and that's understandable, but you have to take care of yourself! If Yuri saw you like this...oh dear, I don't even want to think about what he'd do!"

"I...actually had no idea." Flynn muttered, averting his eyes as he tried to pry the Princess off him. "I knew I was having nightmares...but...I didn't realize that they were this bad...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to worry you all."

"Dunno what your talking about. I wasn't worried." Rita muttered, crossing her arms and looking away, a scowl on her face. "But I think you might have busted one of Estelle's brain cells..."

"Estelle...I think he's okay now..." Karol muttered, nervously wringing his hands together as he watched everything happen.

"He's correct, I'm fine now Lady Estellise." Flynn nodded, and finally, the Princess relented, sitting down on the wet bed. "A-Ah, you should sit somewhere dry..."

"I'm fine." she replied, watching him. To be honest, Flynn didn't like the look in her eyes. Flynn shook his head after a moment, leveling his gaze with the Krityan in front of him.

"Have you found any leads?" he asked, turning his gaze to the leader of Brave Vesperia, and then Raven. His face fell when he noticed no one returned his gaze. "...anything at all?"

"I spoke 'round with some of tha other guilds..." Raven spoke up, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly "but...the last anyone saw of the kid was Deidon Hold..."

"Since we were checking Deidon Hold anyways..." Judith muttered airily, turning her head to the side.

"But when we asked around...no one had seen him for weeks..." Karol finished, a soft whine in his voice. Flynn felt the little hope in his chest start to die.

"...I...I see..." he muttered, feeling his shoulders sink. A hand was placed on his shoulder, and he looked to find Lady Estellise looking at him in worry.

"I...I'm sure he's fine, Flynn." the Princess said, biting her lip. Her words were hollow...and he knew she was just repeating something that she had said before. Her hope was fading as well.

The hope that they all held...that Yuri was somewhere...still alive, still well...that hope was dyeing. It was dyeing quickly.

There was silence for a moment, before Flynn sighed.

"Yes, He must be fine..." he muttered, closing his eyes, and forcing himself to believe that.

"...wish I had yer faith..." Raven muttered, shoving a hand in a pocket of his robe. Flynn opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a soldier bursting through the tent flap

"Sir! I'm sorry to bother you sir!" the soldier did a quick salute, faltering at the sight of so many people. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your meeting..."

"No, it's fine." Flynn muttered, feeling himself slip into his business mode as he stood, trying to shake the water off his arms. "What's the matter?"

"Y-You told us to alert you if we saw something strange..." the soldier muttered, his focus on the ground.

"I did." Flynn agreed. "Have you spotted something?" he asked, feeling that dyeing hope flutter just a bit.

"Y-Yes sir. There's something coming up the path from the forest." the soldier replied, looking slightly unnerved. "I-It's too far to tell what it is, but it...it looks to be an animal of some sort."

"An animal?" Karol asked, a tremor in his voice. Flynn looked at him out of the corner of his eye, and noticed that the boy didn't look as if he could handle himself in battle at the moment.

"I'll check it out, thank you very much." Flynn said, dismissing the soldier as he frowned down at his still wet clothing. He turned his head to look at the mage who had doused him, noticing she wasn't looking at him. "You wouldn't happen to know a spell that would dry me off, would you, Miss Mordio?"

"Pfft, Not unless you want me to burn off that blonde mop of yours." she responded, turning her attention to him, glaring hotly. He shook his head and walked over to the side and grabbed a towel.

"I suppose this will do then." he muttered, running the towel over his arms and hair.

"I'll go ahead~" Estellise said, darting out of the tent before anyone could stop her.

"...geeze, that girl is going to be the death of me..." Rita muttered, following after her. Flynn shook his head, placing a few pieces of armor on, just in case it was nothing more than a monster.

He wanted to believe, though.

"D-Do you think..." Karol muttered, watching Flynn for a moment, before turning his attention to Raven.

"I dunno, Kiddo." Raven replied curtly, standing "ugh, this is gonna kill me..." he muttered, walking out of the tent. Flynn picked up his sword, holding it loosely and held the tent flap open for the other three people.

"Let's go see." he muttered.

* * *

_**x**_

* * *

Flynn had only gotten a few steps. He hadn't even gotten to turn the corner to get to the path through the Quoi Woods. But he didn't need too. The scream reached him, even where he was.

A wail, high pitched and heart wrenching that it shook Flynn to the very core. It took him a few moments to place who had screamed.

"W-Was that..." Karol muttered, before the wail sounded again, this time forming a word.

_**"REPEDE!"**_

Instantly, Flynn was running, dropping the sword in his hand. He turned the corner, sliding a bit and she came into view, pink dress petaled out around her as she clutched something in her arms and Rita Mordio standing next to her, a worried hand hovering over Estellise's shoulder.

"L-Lady Estellise!" Flynn called out, stumbling slightly as he slowed down to a fast walk. His breath came in puffs, and he heard the running stop behind him. He glanced beside him, to see the members of Brave Vesperia huffing as well.

Princess Estellise looked up at the call, her green eyes full of tears as she tried to level him with a stare. She shook her head a few times, letting out a whimper before unfurling her arms showing the burden that the held.

Flynn had to place a hand over his mouth at the sight.

Repede, Yuri's faithful companion, lay in a battered and broken mess in Estellise's arms. Flynn took a few steps forward, falling to his knees as he took in the injuries that littered the dog. His blue and white coat was stained red, gashes and slashes littering the pelt. Flynn could see bits of skin peeling off of many of the wounds, and the dog's breath was hard. Upon seeing Flynn, Repede lifted his head weakly, letting out a whine, and his tail...or what was left of it, wagged in greeting. Estellise let out a choked sob, quickly focusing her energies on a healing arte. The wounds slowly healed, closing, but it wasn't enough, and the dog's head sank slightly. She preformed another one, and then another one, until Judith laid a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

Flynn reached out a hand, resting it gently on the marred face. That single eye, green but glazed, focused on him, and Repede whined, a pitiful excuse for a hello, since his tail had been taken.

"Repede..." Flynn found himself muttering, shaking his head. The dog tried to get up, but Estellise gasped, circling her arms around him. "No, Repede. You need to rest. Don't worry, Lady Estellise will get you fixed up..."

"Y-Yes!" the Princess' voice was shaking, and Flynn looked over at her, before looking up at the gathered group, as Repede sank to his bloodied belly. "I will definitely do everything I can to help you Repede, so please...rest..."

"I don't understand it..." Rita suddenly muttered, her face twisted in what could only be described as torment. "Th-The mutt is always with Yuri..."

All of a sudden, Repede was trying to stand again, a faint growl. He managed to wiggle his way out of Estellise's grip, and start stumbling down the path he had come...but could only get a few steps before his strength gave out, falling to the ground with a yelp. Estellise let out a strangled sob and scooted forward, scooping the dog up in her arms and crying into his matted fur.

"...I think I'll go look in that direction..." Judith muttered, her normally calm voice completely cold. "Whatever did this...I think I'd like a piece of it."

"I-I'll come too!" Flynn looked up as Karol exclaimed this, watching the boy lift his hammer with a serious look on his face. "No one messes with Brave Vesperia, and gets away with it!"

"Mind if ya get one more?" Raven suddenly muttered, causing everyone to look at him. He was standing there, scratching his ear with his eyes closed. He opened one eye, and Flynn was struck at how much anger there was behind that dark eye. "What? Brave Vesperia owns mah life, 'member?" he talked airily, but Flynn could hear the determination behind that voice. "Gotta give payment 'en due." Flynn was sure that payment was just another word for punishment for whoever had done this...and he nodded solemnly.

"I don't see a problem with it." Judith muttered, turning to Karol. "But I do believe the decision is Karol's."

"I don't see a problem at all." Karol responded without a second thought, and Judith smiled, nodding.

"Thank you." Flynn said, closing his eyes.

"It's no problem!" Karol exclaimed. "We'll be back!"

The three, with their weapons drawn and anger at their backs, disappeared down the path, and Flynn sat there for a moment, staring at the dog in the Princess' arms. Sodia took a step forward, raising a hand...but she must have been unable to find words because she did not speak. Repede sunk slightly into Lady Estellise's arms, whining as the woman ran her fingers gently over the dog's head. Her face twisted and fresh tears fell from her eyes as those gentle fingers ran over clumps of dried blood and skin.

"What could have done this..." she finally muttered, her voice nothing more than a soft sob.

"That...is not the look of a monster attack..." Sodia finally offered. "Those wounds are far too...clean..."

"Bandits?" Rita offered, and Flynn let out a sigh, getting to his feet and making his way over to the dog. Repede lifted his head slightly as Flynn bent down to scoop the dog into his arms.

"It doesn't matter right now, what it was. Right now he needs medical attention." Flynn said, finding his voice hard as he gently lifted Repede up. "Sodia, please prepare a second mat in my tent."

"Yes sir." His second in command said stiffly, and darted off towards his tent. Flynn shifted Repede in his arms, giving a grunt as the dog whined in pain.

"Sorry boy, we'll get you laid down and resting soon enough..." Flynn said as Lady Estellise stood as well. He took a few steps and heard something hit the ground. He paused but shook his head. It didn't matter.

"Hey...what's this?" Rita muttered, bending down to pick the item up off the ground.

"Save it, let's get Repede inside." Flynn said stiffly, moving forward and softly apologizing to the dog under his breath for jostling him.

Once in the tent, Flynn laid Repede down on the mat and rubbed his head gently. The dog let out a final whine, before closing his single eye and finally resting. Flynn leaned back onto the balls of his feet and took in how the dog looked, feeling bile build up in the back of his throat.

In all honesty, the dog looked as if he had been tortured. If that was the case, then what...how would they find Yuri? Would the man be in the same state? Most of the wounds that Repede had, Lady Estellise's healing artes had healed...but many of the wounds were far too extensive for a healing arte to fix, even one as powerful as her's. Flynn gritted his teeth. How could someone do something like this...

"Oi, Blonde." the voice jolted him out of his thoughts, and he turned.

"Don't refer to the Commandant as that!" Sodia was exclaiming but Flynn raised a hand to silence her.

"It's okay, Sodia..." he muttered, honestly not having the energy to deal with this. "What is it Miss Mordio?" he asked, and watched as she wiped something off with the sash around her arm.

"The...Mutt dropped this...and I think you should see it. I think he had been laying on it, and dropped it when he saw Estelle..." she muttered, the usual bite gone from her voice as she held out an item to him. Flynn nodded slowly, wary of whatever it was, and held his hand out.

Rita dropped it into his hand, and quickly turned away, a pained scowl on her face.

* * *

_**x**_

* * *

The instant it touched his hand..._he knew what it was._

The shape, the indention, it was all there...He felt the color drain from his face as he lowered his hand, blinking wide blue eyes down at the item. How?

This couldn't be. It just couldn't. There was no way that...

There was nothing else it could be, though. Nothing was shaped like this, they had made sure of that. Nothing was this warm to the touch though it had not been worn in a while.

"This..." Flynn muttered, but his voice died mid-word. He blinked wide eyes up at the mage in front of him, but she did not meet his eyes. Estellise looked around confused, before catching sight of the item and paling herself.

"N-No..." she muttered, before bringing her hands to her face.

"Sir?" Sodia asked slowly, taking a few steps forward. Flynn didn't pay attention...he didn't hear her. Looking down again, he felt all hope that he had gathered at finding Repede die as he found himself staring into the red gem.

There was no hope left.

_It was none other than Yuri's Bhodi Blastia._

* * *

**_AN: Please, don't kill me. I do have a plan for this. Repede managed to get away, and will be able to lead them to Yuri, so don't worry!  
_**

**_I do not plan on having character deaths. I promise. _**


	4. Chapter Three: Realization

_**So here's chapter 3! It took me a bit to get done, because Judith is extremely hard to write. **_

_**The lyrics of the Lullaby that is in the beginning is from a song called Children of the Night. It shows a decent into insanity. I'm sure most of you have realized who it is in the italics. **_

_**Be sure to drop me a few reviews, and if you have questions, feel free to ask. I build off of them, I love to get messages!**_

* * *

_**x**_

* * *

**Chapter Three:**

_"Within the curtain of the night...I can hear someone's screaming voice..."_

_He could hear someone singing...it sounded almost like a lullaby..._

_"Children that lurk within the night hold the bell dyed with blood..."_

_The pain had vanished...that was all that mattered. All that he felt was silence and calm..._

_"Who's the voice that I hear? Who is laughing inside my head?" _

_This song...it was pretty..._

_"A blank conscience that turns into reality disappears." _

_Reality...what was that again? He couldn't remember...Was the pain reality? Or was this beautiful calm reality? Honestly, he preferred the calm. _

_"A teddy bear cries out with a sobbing voice...now what am i doing?"_

_What was he doing? The Lullaby stopped, and he found himself missing it. This place was dark, and while it was calm...he found himself lonely. He wanted people to talk too..._

_"Within the curtain of the night...I can hear someone's screaming voice..." _

_Oh, the singing was back. This reality was limited...he wanted more..._

_All of a sudden, light penetrated the darkness, and he found himself not in the cell that he had been, but in the middle of a field. He felt a smile come onto his face. This world molded to what he wanted..._

_"Children that lurk within the night..."_

_He'd make a new reality. Yes, that sounded good. One without pain. A reality that did not have pain, did not have sadness. A reality where nothing when wrong. Everything would be perfect. _

_"Fate has already started scattering the petals around me..." _

* * *

**_x_**

* * *

Flynn ran his hands through his hair in frustration, before his eyes were drawn back to the gold bracelet that laid on the table in front of him. He found himself shaking his head, unable to believe the events that had just taken place.

"It can't be..." he found himself muttering for the fourth or fifth time.

"Stop repeating yourself, Blondie." Rita muttered, grinding her teeth. "We got it the first time."

"I...I'm sorry..." Flynn responded, reaching over and picking the item up and holding it in his hands again. "I just...this is..."

"I've...ne-never seen him with out it..." Estellise finally spoke up. "H-He told us that he got it as a parting gift from the knights, but a-always seemed to hate the knights...so I didn't understand..."

Flynn swallowed hard, staring into the red gem. The heat that pulsed off of the bangle had never really been natural, and Flynn had puzzled over that, but it had never bothered Yuri. When Flynn had asked him about it, Yuri had responded that it felt like the Captain was approving or disapproving of what he was doing, so he put up with it.

"Flynn...what exactly is Yuri's Blastia?" The Princess suddenly asked, and Flynn looked up at her, watching her tend to Repede. "Why are...you so upset about it? Isn't it a good thing we found it?"

Flynn shook his head.

"No. It's...it's not a good thing. Yuri vowed he would never remove it. Not after what happened all those years ago." Flynn responded, closing his eyes.

"What happened now?" a voice suddenly said, and Flynn turned his attention to the tent flap, as the members of Brave Vesperia stumbled in.

"...Did you..." Flynn asked, but Judith shook her head.

"There was nothing for a few miles. We found a bit of a trail, but I think Repede is the only one who knows the direction in which to go." she said seriously.

"I'm sorry..." Karol muttered, before getting a glace at what was in Flynn's hand. "H-hey...is that..."

"Why'd ya got the Kid's Blast'a?" Raven asked, taking a seat on a box.

"Ah...that's..." Flynn started to say.

"Repede brought it." Rita said quickly. "We didn't see it until we picked him up."

"We were just asking Flynn...why it was so important..." Estellise muttered, and all the eyes turned to Flynn. He swallowed hard, looking back down at the item in question. He would have to tell them...tell them what Yuri wouldn't tell. He sighed.

"It was our Captain's." he said after a few minutes, gritting his teeth as the memories came flooding back.

"Your...Captain's?" Karol asked, tilting his head.

"Yes. Yuri and I were in the Knights together...about 3 years before...well, everything else." Flynn said, not looking up. "We were stationed under Captain Nyren Fedrock."

_"Oh."_ Raven suddenly spoke up, causing Flynn to look up. "I 'member him..."

"You...had met him?" Flynn asked, feeling confusion on his face. Raven nodded slowly.

"Believe it 'r not, I was there too." he said, frowning and scratching his ear. "Wasn't fer very long tho."

"I see..." Flynn muttered.

"Y-You were saying, Flynn?" Estellise pressured lightly.

"As it turned out, we were stationed there for protection. The town, Shizentonia, had been plagued by monsters from the nearby forest...and the trees had started to turn into their Autumn coloring far too early. It was all because of the density of Aer in the area..."

"Wait a second...Nyren..." Rita suddenly muttered before digging in her pack and pulling out a golden core that no longer shone. She stared at it for a moment before giving Flynn the fiercest stare he had seen in a long time. "Does the name Garista ring a bell with you?" Flynn felt himself bristle at the name, and all at once his control left him.

"Of course that name rings a bell, that lying bastard!" Flynn exclaimed, almost instantly on his feet. "That bastard is the cause of all of that shit!"

"Flynn! Calm down!" Lady Estellise was on her feet in an instant and laid her hands on his shoulder and he blinked at her. He realized what had happened and instantly sat down, holding his head in his hands. Once she was certain he was calm, she sat back down next to Repede.

"I apologize for that..." he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "But it is true. That man was the reason the Aer was so out of control in the area. He was using a machine to soak up excess amounts of aer for manual core creation...from what I gathered, at least."

"That...bastard..." Rita muttered. Despite the loss of Blastia for the past few years, the mage still held a strong regard for the devices.

"We didn't realize it until it was too late. Alexei had ordered us to stay put, but Captain Fedrock deemed the danger too great, and ordered us to investigate. I was so against the orders, but I had no choice...I had to follow my direct orders." Flynn tilted his head back, focusing on one of the beams of the tent. "By the time we realized what we were into, the exit had been blocked, and we were trapped. We stopped the machine, but in doing so, caused the whole place to crumble." Flynn took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"...I remember you coming to the castle..." Estellise suddenly muttered. "You were supposed to take your captain's place in an upcoming ceremony, but...Alexei wouldn't have anything of it." her face twisted as she spoke of the man, and Flynn gave her a small smile. He couldn't blame her...after what she had been through with Alexei.

"That's right." he said, before turning his attention to the blastia in his hands. "This blastia belonged to Captain Nyren Fedrock, and was intrusted to Yuri. It was the Captain who told Yuri to follow his own path, to help those that needed it." Flynn paused. "And then he died."

"Wh-What?!" Karol looked surprised, while Raven nodded slowly.

"I 'member that too." Raven said softly, his eyes closed. "believe 'e was called a hero by 'at town." Flynn closed his eyes.

"Yes. Even though his efforts ended up destroying the barrier that had been set up in that town, his efforts had also saved them all. The creatures that the monsters had become were far too dangerous..." Flynn said with a sigh.

"How did the barrier..." Rita started to say, before shaking her head. "Never mind...it doesn't matter now, there's no way to fix it. What about the bracelet?"

"Captain Fedrock used the last of his strength to give this blastia to Yuri. As a result, Yuri never takes it off, to honor his memory." Flynn replied.

"Y-Yuri said that it was a parting gift when he left the knights...d-did he lie?" Karol asked, his voice stammering slightly as he talked about Yuri. Flynn shook his head.

"No. Captain Fedrock told Yuri to follow his own path. He told Yuri to quit the Knights. And that's what Yuri did." Flynn let out a sigh. "He took Repede and left."

"Wait...Repede was..." Estellise started to ask and Flynn nodded.

"Repede once belonged to Captain Fedrock, but when his father was killed in a monster attack, and the Captain died, no one was left to take care of him, so Yuri took him." Flynn responded. "Since then, Repede has been a faithful companion to Yuri..."

At the mention of his name, there was a whine from Repede, who lifted his head slowly.

"A-ah, you should rest Repede..." Estellise muttered, rubbing the dog on the head.

"Yuri never takes this off." Flynn muttered, blinking blue eyes down at the red gem embedded in the golden metal. He turned it over, and noticed a couple of spots of red deep in the engravings. "Never. This means it was taken off of him, and by the looks of these stains...forcefully. He probably used it to defend himself..."

"That's possible...but..." Rita suddenly said, looking thoughtful. "I remember being a bit surprised when he asked if I could tweak it to handle mana...I only recently figured out how too, so it was still a bit unstable..." she paused for a moment. "Making mana crystals is one thing, but turning a former blastia into a crystal that can handle mana? That's something on a whole 'nother plane."

"Do you think Yuri accidentally injured himself?" Estellise asked suddenly, looking panicked.

"It's a possibility...but I don't think the Mutt would have brought it too us, all the while being so banged up like he is." Rita muttered, putting a hand to her chin. She suddenly held her hand out. "Can I see it? I might be able to tell when it was last used."

"A-Ah, sure." Flynn handed the blastia over, and Rita laid it in her lap, opening up the control panel with a flick of a practiced wrist. Flynn watched her carefully, as Estellise tended to Repede.

"Oh we've got to get him cleaned up..." she muttered, rubbing dog on the head. "this is just..."

"What do you think happened...?" Karol asked, sitting on a chair that Sodia had placed in the tent and swinging his legs.

"..Who knows..." Judith said, speaking for the first time in a while. "Perhaps a monster gobbled him up, and this is all that's left?" It seemed that everyone choked at that.

"Now don't go sayin things like that, Judy-darlin." Raven muttered, placing a hand over his chest. "ya might just give little 'ol me a heart attack."

"Oh dear, I didn't mean it like that..." Judith muttered, but there was a smile on her face.

Flynn let out a sigh, realizing that it had just been a joke. Sometimes he really did wonder about the company that Yuri kept around...Judith, especially. She was an enigma to him, and he could never really tell what she was thinking half the time.

"Judy, you shouldn't joke like that..." Estellise was saying, tears in her eyes, and Judith blinked before the smile vanished.

"I didn't realize that it was so bad. I'm sorry." Judith muttered, but that airy tone was still there. "It won't happen again. I promise."

"This doesn't make any sense." Rita suddenly said, and all eyes turned to her. Her focus was on the control panel lit up in front of her, and her face was twisted in confusion.

"What doesn't?" Flynn asked, a feeling of dread settling itself even deeper in his stomach.

"This. According to this...the blastia was used exactly 11 days ago." Rita said, looking up at Flynn. "That makes no sense, since Yuri always made sure to use it at least once every few days..."

The information seemed to sink in for a moment, before Flynn realized what this meant. Yuri _had_ been kidnapped, and his blastia had been taken as a precaution. Repede had managed to escape, grabbing the blastia...and making it all the way here. However, with his injuries...he wouldn't have been able to get too far...so that meant...

"Yuri has to be in the area..." Flynn muttered out of nowhere. He could feel stares on him.

"But we checked..." Karol started to say, but Flynn shook his head.

"No, I mean..." Flynn paused, trying to figure out how to explain what he had realized. "Repede's injuries are too extensive for him to have been able to travel far...so if they had kept Yuri and Repede in the same area, which is a possibility thanks to the blastia, then Yuri has to be somewhere close by."

"That's...true." Rita muttered, closing the control panel and handing the bracelet back to Flynn. After a moment's debate with himself, Flynn placed the blastia on his own wrist. "It's highly possibly that Yuri could be in the area. We just have to find where."

"He had to have been kidnapped." Karol muttered.

"Yes...so we just need to find where he's being kept..." Flynn muttered.

"We checked Deidon Hold...but we haven't really checked the Quoi Woods." Judith offered. "That _is_ where our comrade came from..."

"Then tomorrow..." Estellise muttered, her face downward as she cared for Repede, who had laid his head in her lap. "Tomorrow, we set out for the Quoi Woods."


	5. Chapter Four: Death of Faith

_**So this is the chapter everyone's been kinda sorta waiting for. At least, those of you who read this. **_

_**This chapter was a bit harder to write. Not as hard as next chapter will be to write, but...still, it was difficult. **_

_**I will say this: Judith, Karol, and Raven don't play as big of a part as they probably should in this story over-all. But I'm just finding it more and more difficult to write them. Raven's not terrible to write, but I just can't think of lines for Judith and Karol to say. So, as a result, they probably won't be in the story as much as they probably should. **_

_**that being said, this chapter was slightly depressing...but I pushed through it. **_

* * *

**Chapter Four: Death of Faith**

_"...This life's no good." _

Flynn's eyes snapped open, as a whine erupted next to him. Letting out a huff, the blonde turned his head to the side, finding a green eye staring at him.

"...Repede..." the blonde muttered, pushing himself up onto his elbows to look at the dog who was staring at him with that single eye of his. Lady Estellise had done well in helping the dog, who could now walk without limping. His balance seemed off, but most of his tail had been cut off, so there was a reason for it. The dog whined again, butting his head against Flynn's hand. "haha, I'm fine, boy. It was just a nightmare...I think."

For a moment, the dog stared at him, and then nudged his hand again, the one with Yuri's Blastia on it. It took a moment for Flynn to realize what he meant.

"Oh...I'm worried too." he muttered, staring down at the red gem. "It's been a few days since we started looking...but we haven't found anything." Repede gave a sharp bark, getting to his paws and walking to the tent flap. "A-ah...Lady Estellise told you to stay..." Flynn let out a sigh, there was no telling Repede what to do...only Yuri could do that, and even then, Yuri had a hard time convincing Repede to do anything. "Give me a minute, let me get my armor on..."

Once he had his armor on, Flynn opened the tent flap to find Sodia waiting for him, Repede standing next to her but refusing to look at her. She seemed slightly on edge around the dog.

"Sodia?"

"Sir, the dog alerted me that you were awake. Not many others are at this time..." Sodia responded as Repede slowly walked over to nudge Flynn's hand. "Is it fine to have him wandering about...with those wounds?"

"Ah...There's nothing we can do to stop him." Flynn muttered, petting the dog's head. "He only really listens to Yuri...and even then, not all the time." He turned his head to Sodia. "I think he wants me to follow him..."

"Would you like me to wake Lady Estellise and the others?" Sodia asked stiffly, and Flynn nodded.

"Yes, I believe it's time we follow Repede." Flynn said, earning a bark from the dog next to him.

* * *

_**x**_

* * *

It didn't take long for the members of Brave Vesperia and the others to gather in the middle of the small compound that they had made. Lady Estellise was wide awake, and off to the side, chastising Repede who was merely watching her and flicking what was left of his ear in annoyance. Most of them were rubbing their eyes sleepily; Raven was trying to pop his back, Judith was watching him with tired eyes, and the two youngest were yawning. Flynn felt sorry for rousing them from their rest, but figured he could blame Repede for that.

"I'm sorry for waking you." Flynn muttered, bowing his head a bit.

"This better be good, Blondie." Rita muttered, clumsy fingers tying her scarf around her arm.

"I told you not to cal-" Sodia started to say, bristling slightly, but Flynn held up a hand to stop her.

"Repede woke me up." Flynn said, and Estellise looked up at him. "I think he wants us to follow him."

"come ta think of it, ya haven't been screamin" Raven suddenly muttered, and Flynn blinked at him.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked, blinking a few more times.

"He's right...your nightmares haven't been terrible the past few nights...ever since we found the dog." Sodia said softly, as if realizing this for the first time. Flynn put a hand on his chin in thought.

"I think I'm still having them...I woke up quite suddenly when Repede nudged me." Flynn muttered, recalling how startled he was earlier. He shook his head after a moment. "I think it's time we let him lead us."

"But what about his injuries..." Lady Estellise muttered, looking worried.

"Then we won't let him fight if it comes to that." Judith said airily, earning a growl.

"Just give us a minute to get our bearings..." Karol muttered, still half asleep. Flynn gave a small smile and nodded.

It didn't take long for the group to get their light weight armor and weapons hooked to their belts...or where ever the weapons were kept. Karol was still yawning when they gathered back in front of him. Rita had found some bread and was munching on it in thought, and Estellise was still fussing over Repede.

"Sodia, I want you to come with us." Flynn said, earning a look of surprise from most gathered. He let out a sigh. "If a fight is inevitable, I'd like someone to be able to run back and gather the soldiers."

"...Of course sir." Sodia said, nodding sharply. The others seemed to accept that, and Flynn turned his focus to Repede.

The dog had been sitting there, patiently waiting for the group to gather and ready themselves. He seemed worried. No...the correct term would be apprehensive...as if he knew something that they didn't know. This worried Flynn, since he had known for a long time that Repede was a lot more intelligent that many gave him credit for. Something had the dog far more worried than Flynn was comfortable with.

"Repede, it's up to you." Flynn said softly, his eyes narrowing as they met with that one single green eye. Repede snorted, and got up slowly, turning and making his way into the Quoi Woods. The group shared a look before quickly following after him.

* * *

_**x  
**_

* * *

"Ya sure we ain't goin in circles?" Raven complained for the fourth or fifth time. "Tat flower is lookin awefully familar..."

"Shut your trap, Old Man." Rita muttered, turning on her heel and glaring at the man. "Before I shut it for you with a rather nice fireball."

"Yikes!" Raven darted out of the way as the area around Rita started glowing "I get it I get it!"

"Um..." Sodia made a noise in the back of her throat, before turning to Flynn. "Sir...are they always like this?"

"I think so." Flynn replied, giving a small laugh. "it's kind of distracting, really." he paused, his eyes focusing on Repede's back. "In a good way. It gets my mind off of what might happen. I guess that's why Yuri chose to continue journeying with them."

"I see..." Sodia made another noise, shaking her head. Flynn didn't blame her. She was more for rules, like he was. Traveling with a guild was not something they were used too.

Flynn came to an immediate stop as Repede let out a low growl. His eyes fixed on the dog, he watched Repede lower himself towards the ground, stopping when the fur of his belly grazed the grass. The effect was almost instant, the group behind him quieted, and he could hear a couple of them drawing their weapons. Flynn lowered himself to his knees, and brushed some of the shrubbery away, revealing what Repede was growling at.

In front of them, and rather well camouflaged, was what seemed to be a base of some sorts. There were obvious guildmen wandering around, but the security didn't seem to be too tight. Everything was silent, almost too silent, and Flynn felt a chill go down his spine. He turned to Karol and Raven.

"Do you recognize them?" he whispered hoarsely and Raven narrowed his eyes as Karol shook his head.

"Looks like some remnants of some of tha guilds that 'ave fallen apart..." Raven muttered, completely focused on the guildmen. "I 'eard 'at some had made a new guild...called it...Crow somethin."

"We'll have to get past them..." Judith responded softly, earning a scoff from Rita.

"Naw duh." Rita muttered, cracking her knuckles a bit.

"Are we even sure Yuri's in there?" Lady Estellise asked, speaking for the first time in a while. Flynn looked down at Repede, taking in his body language, and nodded.

"I think so. I don't think Repede would lead us here if he wasn't." Flynn replied, laying a hand on the dog's head. Repede snorted, and Flynn noticed his entire body was quivering...and he was sure it wasn't anticipation. "Besides, this place obviously holds some bad memories for him...I don't think he'd come back here unless he had too."

"That's true...he's shaking..." Judith muttered, ruby eyes narrowing slightly.

"Then let's get this o-" Flynn started to say before Rita reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"Hang on a moment. Something's weird." she muttered, pulling him away from the shrub.

"E-Eh?" Flynn blinked as he finally noticed that the Blastia around his wrist had started to glow, faintly. "Wh-What..."

"I don't know, hang on, let me look." Rita snapped quietly, trying to avoid speaking too loudly. She quickly opened the panel up. After a moment of quick typing, and grazing over the controls, she stopped. Just...stopped.

"...Rita?" Lady Estellise laid a hand on the girl's shoulder, causing her to jump a bit.

"I...This is impossible." She muttered after a moment, taking her goggles off and running a hand through her hair.

"Waddya talkin about, Genius Mage?" Raven asked, scratching his head.

"The Blastia's been activated, but Flynn didn't activate it." Rita said seriously, furiously typing away at the control panel. It took a moment for it to sink in, and the only thing that Flynn could think was that it had been overloaded.

"I-Is..." he started to say, moving to take it off. Rita quickly grabbed his other hand.

"No, don't..." she muttered, not even looking away from the panel's screen. "Blastia, even mana based ones, only activate if their users activate them. However, I've read...I read a couple of old books in Aspio of certain Blastia that have synced with a certain user."

"What does that mean?" Judith asked, leaning over the mage's shoulder.

"Think of it like Halure's barrier. The Blastia at Halure had merged with plant-life, an organic organism." Rita explained, still staring at the control screen.

"But wouldn't...'at...ya know...kill tha person if it was taken 'way?" Raven asked, but Rita shook her head.

"No. It's not completely like that. Every person is unique, and has a unique signature. The Blastia syncs with that signature, and no one else's...meaning that no one else would be able to use that Blastia...at least that's what the book said. I've never seen it in real life." Rita muttered

"Why are you bringing this up then?" Karol whispered, looking confused.

"Because...I think that might have happened with this Blastia." Rita said. "Even still...without a Spirit within it, it shouldn't have activated..."

"You're saying...that Blastia synced with Lowell?" Sodia finally spoke up, causing Rita to nod, a bit hesitantly.

"And because it hasn't been near him in a prolonged period of time..." she muttered, trailing off. Flynn realized where she was going with that.

"It senses his presence." Flynn finished, blinking a few times down at the faintly glowing red gem as Rita closed the control panel. A thought occurred to him, and he turned his attention back to Rita. "Miss Mordio...would it be possible for another spirit to inhabit a Blastia?"

"Eh?" Rita looked a bit stunned as she thought it over. "I...I suppose it's _possible..._but all the Spirits were freed..."

"I think I get what tha kid's sayin..." Raven muttered, looking at Flynn with a stern gaze. "But 'ats something for 'nother time. We gotta get in an play 'ero." Rita shook her head and nodded, as did everyone else. For a moment, Flynn kept his eyes fixed on the red gem before taking a deep breath.

"Well then, Lets go?" Flynn offered, and the assembled group behind him nodded. It was now or never.

* * *

_**x**_

* * *

Getting in had been surprisingly easy. Actually, it seemed a bit too easy, in Flynn's opinion. Their group was large, and the security was far too lax. It was even more so once inside the compound. Flynn made it clear that he was to the point of striking anyone in their way down, and no one argued with him...but there was hardly anyone to remove from the way. In fact...it was as if the guildmen were leading them deeper.

"Sir...I don't like this..." Sodia finally muttered in a low whisper. Flynn spared a glance to her and noticed her grip on her sword.

"She's right." Judith said. "This smells fishy."

"Really fishy." Karol finished, shifting his weight slightly to better handle his hammer.

"I know." Flynn replied, chewing on his lip. This left a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, but it was a little too late to turn back.

"They're leading us..." Estellise realized, and Flynn could hear the fear on her voice. Silently, he cursed himself for bringing her along. He should have known better than to bring the Princess along...but somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that she wouldn't have let them go without her.

"Yeah, but they're leading us in the right direction." Rita muttered, crossing her arms.

"Eh? How do you know?" Karol asked, and Flynn lowered his sword, putting his hand out.

"Because of this." Flynn replied, showing them the now brightly glowing Blastia on his wrist.

"Whoa..." Karol seemed extremely surprised at how brightly the gem was glowing.

"I was right. It's definitely synced with Yuri..." Rita muttered, putting her hand on her chin as she gazed at the glow.

"U-Um..." Estellise suddenly made a move, taking a step forward, and gazing into the darkness with a strained face. "D-Does anyone else smell that?"

Flynn paused, lowering his hand and turning. He took a deep breath through his nose, trying to scent what the Princess had. It took him a moment to realize what it was that she had smelled, the coppery scent stinging his nose once he noticed it.

_Blood._

And lots of it.

"Ugh...how come I didn't notice that..." Rita made a retching noise.

"I-I noticed it a while back...but didn't say anything..." Estellise muttered, drawing her saber closer to herself. "It smells a lot like that dungeon in Capua Nor...that's how I recognized it..."

"Geeze...'ats a heavy stench..." Raven muttered, drawing his sleeve over his nose.

"S-Sir..." Sodia looked unnerved, and Flynn didn't blame her.

"It's alright, Sodia. We'll just have to deal with it..." Flynn replied.

"Yes...Let's hurry and find our friend before _someone_ faints." Judith said jokingly, giving a look to Raven. He gave a chuckle.

"If I fall over, you'll catch me, right Judy-Darlin?" he asked, his voice rising in pitch. She moved to lean on one leg.

"Oh, now why would I do that? I'd just strain my little 'ol arms..." she feigned, waving a hand slightly before walking past him. Flynn gave a nod to Sodia, and the group advanced, turning the corner...

And finding a door.

"...That's it?" karol asked, nearly dropping his hammer in shock. There were no guards, nothing.

"That's...odd." Estellise seemed confused. Flynn shook his head, frowning as he advanced hesitantly. Instinctively, he reached for the handle.

"Sir, wait!" Sodia suddenly hissed, pointing down. Flynn looked, and found there was light coming from under the door, and a shadow moving around. Someone was in the room.

"Shit..." Flynn backed up from the door.

"What do we do..." Karol whispered.

"Come ta think of it..." Raven muttered, his eyes narrowing. "Yuri's tha one who usually came up with tha plans in times like these."

"Yes...that's true..." Judith put a hand on her chin.

"I-I'm no good at things like this...I'm sorry..." Karol muttered, sniffling slightly. Flynn frowned and placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder.

"Nonsense. Yuri wouldn't consider you a leader, if he didn't believe you had it in you." Flynn said, giving the boy a slightly strained smile. After giving his shoulder a squeeze, he turned his attention to Sodia. "Sodia, I think our only chance is to go i-"

_"Well well well, look what we have here."_

* * *

**_x_**

* * *

Flynn froze and turned, his sword at the ready as the door behind them opened. The man behind the door grinned, wiping a bit of coal black hair out of his eyes. He stood there, regarding the group for a moment before giving them a hearty laugh.

"My my my! I thought it would have taken you longer to get here!" he exclaimed, his voice so sickly sweet sounding it sounded like nails on a chalk board to Flynn's ears, causing him to grit his teeth.

"...Who are you." It was a demand, not a question, and the man in front of him blinked at Flynn before turning his back and walking back into the room. He motioned for them to follow, and hesitantly...they did. There was no point in being sneaky anymore.

"My name is Egon. I founded Crow's Cross about a year ago." the man said, giving the group a grin.

"Crow's Cross, eh?" Raven muttered, a sneer suddenly in his voice. "'ats the guild that keeps attackin patrol'in Knights."

"Why you..." Sodia tensed at learning that, but Flynn held out a hand to calm her, keeping his eyes on Egon.

"Yes, that's true. You see...I founded this guild for that sole purpose. The Guilds and the Empire should never work together." Egon nodded, leaning against a desk behind him, giving off an air of arrogance.

"...Why?" Flynn asked, his eyes narrowing. "Isn't it better that the Guilds and the Empire are working together? Now that there are no longer barriers to keep people safe? A safer and better world is what the Empire is trying to strive for!"

"BULL SHIT!" the man in front of them suddenly screamed, causing the group to take a step back as he leaned forward, madness suddenly stuck in violet orbs. "The Empire is nothing but a rack of SHIT! They feed you lies upon lies and then tear you apart!"

"That's not true!" Sodia shot right back at him. "The Empire's goal is to protect the people, not hurt them!"

"I'll admit, there have been...issues, with many of the people in the Empire." Flynn said carefully, watching the man in front of him. "Corruption is no stranger, even to the Empire. The former Commandant was one of such issues. But I have been striving to make sure that corruption no longer plays a part...Surely you can see that..."

"You don't get it...you just don't get it..." Egon shook his head, putting it in his hands for a moment. Then...he started to laugh. It started as a chuckle, that grew and grew until the man had thrown his head back and belted out. It took a few minutes for Egon to calm, to breathe again, and he put his head down, as if staring at his feet.

"Why don't we get straight to the point?" Judith suddenly said, and Flynn could hear her grip tighten on her spear.

"Yeah, I think you have something of ours, and we want it back." Rita scoffed, unhooking her sash from her arm and letting the ground around her light up.

"Please, avoid further confrontation, and tell us where you have placed Yuri." Lady Estellise said stiffly, pointing her sword at Egon.

For a moment, everything was silent. No one moved, save to breath. Then, the man lifted his head, pale skin being shown through a curtain of black hair. Violet eyes narrowed as they took in the scene.

"You don't get it." Egon said simply, lifting his head even more to show them that he was grinning. "I _let_ you in...and you have the nerve to challenge me?"

"You may have let us find you, but you will not walk away from this unscratched if you do not tell us where Yuri Lowell is." Sodia said, a snarl in her voice. This surprised Flynn, and he blinked for a moment before steeling himself.

"Though I doubt you'll listen to me, As Commandant Flynn Scifo, I demand you tell us where Yuri is." Flynn said, making his voice as cold as possible. For a moment, Egon merely stared at them. He made no move to point, or to tell anything at all.

And then he sighed, lifting himself off of the desk and around it.

"I can't argue with that logic, I'm afraid. You've got me outnumbered." Egon muttered, moving around the various furniture that littered the room. He pulled down on a lever and motioned them to follow. "It's a long way down, so ladies, do watch your step."

* * *

**x**

* * *

Long way down was an understatement. Flynn followed Egon closely, sword at ready if he decided to turn on them, while Sodia brought up the rear, ready to cut down anyone if they planned a sneak attack. Estellise let out a noise as they got deeper down this long stair case, covering her nose as the stench of blood grew stronger and stronger.

"Lovely smell, isn't it?" Egon asked, pausing as he took a deep breath. "I love it. It shows me just how powerful I really am..."

"...It's disgusting." Rita said coarsely, causing the man to tsk slightly.

"You young people don't understand the true beauty of the smell of blood..." Egon muttered

"I'm plenty old and even I can't stand it. Yer a messed up individual..." Raven replied, coughing slightly. Egon turned, eyeing Flynn.

"Turn that light out, boy." the man demanded, motioning to the now brightly lit Blastia on Flynn's wrist. Flynn snarled and forced the man to turn forward with his sword.

"Even if I could, I wouldn't do anything you told me too." Flynn snarled, glancing down at the Blastia. It's light was worrying him...as was the now prominent heat eminating from it. Rita seemed to think it was okay, but it still worried him.

"What ever you say..._Commandant._" the man snarled back as they hit the final step. "Besides, we're here." he opened another door, and they were met with a hallway with nothing cells on each side and a door at the end. Lady Estellise let out a gasp, seeing the people...or what was left of them...litter the cells. She gave a sob, before burying her face in the nearest shoulder. "The fruit of my work...Isn't it wonderful?"

"More like grotesque..." Karol muttered, earning a snarl from Egon.

"Someone like you wouldn't understand! I do this to free them!" Egon explained, opening one cell and bending down to the body that lay inside. "Yes...their bodies are broken, mangled beyond repair...but their spirits! Oh the freedom they must feel!"

The sinking feeling in Flynn's stomach intensified as he heard this mad-man go on about how torturing people freed them. Not only did the sinking feeling intensify, but so did his anger. This man...was this what he had done to Yuri?

"Ah...but _he_ was a tricky one..." Egon suddenly said, dropping the lifeless body and dusting his hands off. "Hard to break, that one...Yes...very hard to break." Hope fluttered up, could he be talking about Yuri? Flynn shared a look with Sodia, and tightened his grip on his sword.

"Are you going to give us Yuri, or not?" Flynn asked carefully, watching the man stare at the body in the cell. The man looked up at them, a gleam in his violet eyes.

"Did you know...that the human mind can only take so much before it flees? That's the true freedom." Egon said, a grin on his face. "Yes...you have to break it first. Oh yes. But that part's fun. Think of it...like a toy. A child's toy...they all break. And sometimes, they can't be repaired...The human mind is a lot like that toy...once it's broken, it takes a lot to fix it." he crackled, walking to the end of the hallway. He put his hand on the door and turned to look at the group behind him.

"Your friend was amazing." he said, suddenly serious, and Flynn felt the hope that had fluttered up in his chest die. "He held on to himself for so long. It was a miracle. Every time I thought I'd beaten him, he'd come back, cursing and screaming at me..."

"...Y-Yuri..." Lady Estellise muttered, and Flynn didn't need to turn around to see the horror on her face.

"It took so long. Soooo long...and I sort of wish that it hadn't ended..." Egon leaned up against the wood of the door, almost in longing. "But with all humans, the mind can only take so much before it flees..." The door clicked open, and the stench of fresh blood wafted through the air.

What Flynn saw nearly made him loose what little lunch he had, for there, in the very center of a tiny...blood stained room, hanging from the ceiling by shackles and chains hooked around his wrists...

_Was Yuri._

* * *

**_AN: So there's the chapter. _**

**_What is up with the Blastia? What did Flynn mean when he said "another spirit"? Just Who is Egon?_**

**_But most of all, the question that everyone wants to know..._**

**_"How injured is Yuri, really?"_**


	6. Chapter Five: Life

_**Chapter 5 is here~**_

_**Bah, this took a while, I'm sorry. This chapter is slightly graphic, so if gore disturbs you, then...you probably don't want to read this. **_

_**Then again, if you don't like that stuff, why are you even reading? **_

_**Anyways, on with the chapter~**_

* * *

**Chapter Five: Life**

_"Why does everything I do cause tragedy? Why does everyone I know keep leaving me here? Why do I feel so empty inside? I only want..."_

There was a scream from behind him, but Flynn barely registered it. Bile rose in his throat, and it was all he could do to force it down...only to have it rise right back up.

"Y-You monster!" he barely heard Sodia exclaim...but he could only focus on the body in front of him.

The man's clothes were tattered beyond recognition...as was the skin underneath. Fresh wounds littered Yuri's bare chest to the point where Flynn couldn't see an inch of skin that didn't have a wound on it. The area around his shoulders was dark and purple, signaling that both shoulders were most likely shattered, and his arms weren't much better. Yuri's wrists had swollen while he hung there, purpled skin showing from under the shackles, the area still bleeding from where the metal had cut into his skin. His hair was shortened, matted, and full of nothing but blood...dying it's normal raven color a dark caked brown...But to Flynn, the most shocking was his friend's face.

Yuri's face had fallen forward, and itself was covered in cuts. The cuts were clean, probably done with a knife. There was a large cut on his forehead, fresh, that had coated more than half of his face in blood, as well as one over his nose. There were other cuts...but Flynn couldn't look away. Not at the cuts, no...the cuts weren't what drew Flynn's attention.

_Yuri's eyes were open._

His best friend's eyes were open, but it was obvious, even from where Flynn was standing, that they didn't see anything that was going on around him. They held a glazed look, as if he himself was far away. Flynn had been staring for minutes, he was sure...and not once did Yuri blink.

"Remarkable...isn't it?"

That sickly sweet grinding voice jolted Flynn back to himself, and he took a breath through his mouth, feeling the corner of his lips quirk upward int a snarl.

"Y-You're a monster..." Lady Estellise sobbed, and Flynn heard her sword drop to the ground. It only fueled his anger.

"Oh, my dear...I'm not a monster. I just know how to achieve true freedom." Egon moved, walking around Yuri's limp body. There was a sick grin on his face as he trailed a single finger around that unnaturally thin waist.

_Yuri's body didn't even flinch._

"It's been a few days since I've gotten any sort of reaction out of him." Egon muttered, almost thoughtful. "It was actually quite sudden. Marcus comes up to me and goes 'he's gone' and sure enough, the lights are not on anymore. Shame really. His screams were just _delightful._"

Flynn tried to calm himself. He really did. Deep breath in. Deep breath o-no...that wasn't working. All he could smell was blood. Yuri's blood. He closed his eyes, trying to focus, but all he could see was that limp body, hanging there.

"I-Is he..." Karol suddenly voiced, and Flynn could hear the terror in that small whisper. Egon let out a laugh.

"Dead?" the crazed man asked, leaning forward a bit. He gave another laugh and reached forward, grabbing a lock of Yuri's hair and pulling back, forcing the limp head backwards. "Hn. Not yet. Though...there's no point in keeping the body alive. I imagine his mind is locked in a perpetual dream by now."

"People like you make me sick!" Rita exclaimed, the area around her lighting up as she charged a fireball spell. "There's always a point in keeping someone alive!"

But Flynn wasn't focused on that. Something Egon had said had gotten to him, and he found himself thinking back. Yuri...was locked in a never ending dream? Wait...

_Dreams._

Flynn's sword lowered in shock, and his eyes widened as realization hit him. The nightmares that he had been having. He could never really remember them in the morning...but as Sodia and the others had said, he had been screaming in his sleep as if something was attacking him. The reason he couldn't remember them...was...because _they weren't his dreams_.

"..._Shit."_ Flynn cursed, raising his sword again as a snarl made it's way on his face. How could he not have seen that? How could he have glossed over the fact that these nightmares had corresponded with when Yuri had disappeared? Yuri had tried to reach out...in any way he could...and Flynn had ignored it...No, Flynn had forgotten.

"S-Sir?" Sodia stuttered, seeing the position that Flynn was in.

"...You bastard..." Flynn muttered, feeling his shoulders shaking. He scrunched his eyes closed. "Do you think you're above the law?...No, Of course you do. Heh..."

"Above the law?" Egon asked, before giving a laugh "No law holds me. I do right as I please. Oh...and this pleases me...Seeing you like this, oh Mighty Commandant, is such a pleasure. Who would have thought breaking a simple man would have brought down the great Commandant."

"Don't speak of him like that!" Sodia exclaimed, her voice trembling. Flynn heard the metal of her gauntlets tighten as she raised her sword.

"And why shouldn't I?" Egon spread his arms. "I've brought down the mighty empire's commandant!"

"Naw..." Raven suddenly spoke up. "I think all ya done is make 'em angry."

"Indeed..." Judith muttered "and I don't think he's the only one..."

"That Blastia is extremely unstable...and I haven't figured out why...and it's never a good idea to upset someone with an unstable Blastia." Rita stated, and Flynn could hear her stepping backwards. Flynn's eyes snapped open to look at the Blastia on his wrist, to find it's heat and light was almost blinding.

"I don't care...I've won. You idiots can't get to me." Egon seemed arrogant, keeping Yuri's body in between him and Flynn. "Besides...only I can unhook the boy's bindings!" he held out a key, small and metal, and Flynn snarled. The metal around his wrist was starting to burn with the heat that the Blastia was giving off. Flynn winced, closing one of his eyes to keep the other focused on Egon. How...he had to get that key...

_"Do just, and punish the unjust. That's the motto of Brave Vesperia. Isn't that what the Captain told me, as well?"_

_"It is, Yuri, but is this really the right path?"_

_"It's the path I've chosen. And sometimes...I think the Captain's right here with me...This wouldn't be so warm if he wasn't...Do you remember how we defeated Garista?"_

_"Of course. How could I forget?"_

_"...yeah, that's true. It's just...I was sure...so sure that he was with us at that time..."_

The blastia around his wrist...Yuri's Blastia...flashed for a moment, and suddenly, Flynn understood. For a single moment, the Blastia would let him use it. No...that wasn't quite right, but still, Flynn gave a snarl, and readied himself.

"What...you intend to put your friend in harms way? Even if it's just a shell?" Egon seemed confused, and it was that confusion that allowed Flynn the small amount of time he needed.

"I'm not putting him in danger." Flynn's voice was firm as the area around him started to glow. "I'm getting help from an old friend to free him!" Egon let out a laugh, moving to put Yuri in between them again.

"That won't work! You can't direct that!" The man's arrogance had no end, and Flynn closed his eyes.

"He's right, Flynn! You can't direct the blast!" Rita suddenly called out, but Flynn shook his head.

"Sir! Stop this! You'll endanger Lowell!" Sodia exclaimed

"I might not be able to direct it..." Flynn started to say, before his eyes snapped open and the magic was released. "But I know for a fact this blast will not harm Yuri!"

The blast was bright and blinding, and there were a few startled screams. Flynn knew that the members of Brave Vesperia had most likely scattered, frightened of the blast, but he knew for a fact that this blast wouldn't harm Yuri. There was no way it would. Stars littered his eyes as Flynn stumbled. Blinking the light away, he fumbled, trying to find the man he knew was there, his sword held loosely in his hands. This attack had worked for them before, it had to work again.

Amist the panicked calls from Lady Estellise and the others, a groan alerted Flynn to Egon's presence. With a snarl, Flynn readied his sword and made his way over. The man was stunned, using the wall behind him as a stabilizer, groping around as if looking for something. The attack had worked just as he expected it too, Yuri hung there uninjured, that's all that mattered, and with a single slash, the man collapsed into a heap on the ground with a gasp.

"You thought you were above the law..." Flynn muttered coldly as he bent down and took the key from Egon's hand. "But in the end, that very law claimed you."

"Sir!"

"Fl-Flynn?!"

"Blondie!"

The calls caused Flynn to turn, blinking blue eyes at the group who were staring at him. After a moment, he gave them a sheepish smile and held up the small key. The effect was instantaneous. Cheers erupted from the group; a watery smile bloomed on Estellise's face, Karol jumped up with a look of hope, Rita tried to play off her relief, Judith gave a soft smile, and Raven nodded slowly in approval.

"Get over here you idiot! I need to make sure that Blastia isn't damaged!" Rita exclaimed angrily, pushing her way through the group and towards Flynn. The words reminded Flynn of the Blastia around his wrist and he looked down, seeing a muted glow and exhaled a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

"I think Lowell takes priority right now, Miss Morido..." Sodia muttered, taking a few steps forward. "We need to get him down."

"B-But how..." Lady Estellise moved forward as well, her hands hovering over Yuri's bare and bloody chest. Flynn made his way over, his eyes scanning the ground for something to use.

"I have to be able to get up there...it's too high to reach right now..." he muttered, and almost instantly, everyone was searching for a stool.

"F-Found one!" Karol suddenly exclaimed, lifting a small stool up from where it had been stored under a bloodied table.

"Good job kiddo." Raven gave the boy a thumbs up as Karol gave him the stool. Raven bent down and placed the stool in front of Yuri's limp body.

"Thank you..." Flynn muttered, and stepped up in the stool, finding himself head level with Yuri.

"...Is he even conscious?" Judith asked, and Flynn glanced over at her, watching her cross her arms and grip the sides of her arms with an agonizing look on her face. "It's so odd that his eyes are open..." Flynn turned his attention back to Yuri, and took the look on his face in. He took a breath through his nose, nearly gagging at the stench. He nodded after a moment, steeling himself as he pulled off one of his gauntlets.

"...Yuri?" Flynn voiced, lifting his hand to place it as gently as he could under Yuri's chin to lift his head. For a moment, Flynn feared that his friend was truly dead, and to pacify that idea, Flynn placed his fingers against Yuri's neck and waited. It took forever for him to find the pulse, but there it was...fluttering and faint, and Flynn let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Yuri, can you hear me?" Those open eyes unnerved Flynn, far away gaze staring right through him. Flynn swallowed hard, trying not to think about how similar to death those eyes looked like..."Yuri...come on...It's me, Flynn." There was no response...those dark eyes didn't even focus. They just continued to stare ahead, blank stare and slightly parted blood caked and chapped lips continuing to unnerve Flynn.

"...nothing?" Karol asked, his voice wavering, and Flynn shook his head, feeling his face scrunch up as he leaned forward to where his forehead was touching Yuri's own bloody one.

"Shit...Yuri...This is all my fault..." he muttered, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...but we're going to get you out of this...Don't worry. We'll get you out and get you fixed up...I swear, so please...just hang on..."

Lady Estellise let out a gasp, and Flynn's eyes flew open. He drew back and focused on her.

"Look..." She whispered, and pointed upwards. Flynn followed her hand to where Yuri's hands were shackled to the ceiling. It took him a moment to realize what she was pointing at. It was faint. Very faint...and Flynn almost didn't see it. If he hadn't have been focused so intently on any sort of change, he would have missed it...but as it was, he was so focused, that he managed to catch it.

_Yuri's hand twitched._

Instantly Flynn had his focus back on Yuri's face, but there was no change. The twitch seemed to be subconscious, but that didn't matter to Flynn. It only meant that Yuri was still in there, still fighting. He nodded and lifted his hands.

"Sch-I mean, Raven, please get on the other side." Flynn instructed, and the guildman nodded, positioning himself opposite of Sodia. "Judith, take Lady Estellise's place. He's going to come crashing down. Rita, would you make sure Lady Estellise doesn't use too much of her energy?"

"Yeah yeah..." Rita muttered, placing a hand on Estellise's shoulder as she was directed backwards. The Princess already had a healing spell formed on her lips.

"Lady Estellise, I'll ask you to hold your healing spell until we get his arms set. If you heal him now, his shoulders won't heal right." Flynn said, earning a whimper from the Princess as she realized he was right. Key in hand, Flynn pondered on how to do this without hurting Yuri even more. He gave a grumble when he thought of something, and as gently as he could, he wrapped one arm around Yuri's far too thin waist, stabilizing him and bracing himself as he undid the shackles around his friend's wrists.

Gravity instantly brought Yuri down, so quickly that Flynn nearly fell off the stool as the dead weight was laid on him, the young man's arms slamming downwards with a loud crack. There was a low whine, and it took a moment for Flynn to realize where it had come from. Flynn shifted, allowing Yuri's head to roll back, and found that while the stare had not moved, Yuri's forehead was scrunched up as if it pained him to just to be moved.

"W-was that from Yuri?" Lady Estellise asked, taking a few steps forward as both Raven and Sodia took Yuri from Flynn's arms.

"I...think so..." Flynn muttered, shaking his head. "We've got to get him out of here before we can do anything." As he was talking, Flynn removed his shoulder guards, blinking down at the fabric of his uniform now stained red. There was another, barely audible whine as Sodia and Raven set his arms. "Lady Estellise, please use a healing spell to stabilize him."

"A-Ah, yes, of course." She stuttered, closing her eyes and clasping her hands together. "_Holy power come to me...first aid!_" The spell released, wrapping around Yuri and sinking in. The purple skin around his shoulders faded, and some of the wounds healed, but it was very obvious that he was still in very bad shape.

"We gotta figure a way ta get 'em back ta camp..." Raven muttered, removing his purple robe and wraping it around Yuri's battered frame.

"Yes, and quite quickly..." Judith muttered, and untying the golden cord around her waist and tying it over the robe so it wouldn't fall off. Flynn placed the armor to the side and motioned to his back.

"Put him on my back. I'll carry him." Flynn said stiffly. Raven nodded.

"Alrighty. Help 'n old man out, would ya missy?" the guildman gave Sodia a grin as he hoisted Yuri up. Sodia gave the man a look, but did as she was told, lifting Yuri's other side and together they carefully placed the limp body on Flynn's back. Flynn shifted slightly him slightly, grunting in surprise at how light Yuri was. He hooked his hands under Yuri's legs and readied himself.

"Sir!" Sodia suddenly exclaimed, and Flynn turned his head to look at her. "He's gone!"

Flynn felt the color drain out his face, as he turned as quickly as he could to look at the place where Egon was last. Sure enough, the body was gone, and in the back of the room a opening had been revealed.

"Shit...We don't have time to go after him..." Flynn muttered, shaking his head. "I injured him rather badly, so he won't get far. Lets get Yuri back to came before launching a search."

* * *

_**x**_

* * *

The going was a lot harder than it had been coming. It took twice as long to get back to came as it had to get to the now empty compound. Flynn found himself stopping and readjusting Yuri multiple times, disturbed by how limp his friend was. Despite Yuri being on his back, Flynn could barely feel his friend's heart beating...barely hear him breathe.

Coming back into camp caused chaos. Flynn was a well liked Commandant, and at seeing the blood on his uniform, his soldiers assumed the worst. He motioned to Sodia to explain the situation as Raven grabbed a spare cot and they disappeared into Flynn's tent.

With a grunt, Flynn bent down and with Judith and Raven helping, Yuri was laid on the spare cot. His head rolled limply to the side, that blank stare still visible. Flynn let out a breath, trying to get his bearings before he looked down at his uniform. With a grumble, he shed the bloodied article and put a clean shirt on.

"Lady Estellise, I'll need your help...but it's a bit crowded in here. Could I ask the rest of you to step outside?" Flynn asked calmly. The group shared a look before nodding hesitantly, unwilling to leave their friend for too long. Flynn noticed, and gave a sigh. "Once we stabilize him, you can come back in...but as it is, we need as much room as possible."

"'At's true..." Raven muttered, before taking Karol by the shoulders. "All right squirt, lets get sum fresh air."

"B-but..." Karol fought for a moment before letting himself be led out, Judith and Rita following shortly after. After a few agonizing moments, trying to figure out what to work on first, Rita popped back in.

"Here. You're gonna need this stuff." She said, handing Flynn a bag of first aid supplies.

"Ah! Thank you Rita! This will help lots!" Estellise exclaimed, for the first time that day looking hopeful. Rita flushed a bit and nodded, ducking out of the tent again.

* * *

_**x**_

* * *

What seemed like hours passed as the two of them worked tirelessly. Various healing spells, gels, and bandages were used to heal or cover wounds. Some of the wounds that Yuri had sustained were far too bad to be healed with a healing arte and gel combined, which meant that the wound had to be stitched and then bandaged. Finally, he seemed to be bandaged up enough and Flynn had Estellise fetch Raven to help dress Yuri in more comfortable clothes after getting most of the caked blood out of the man's hair.

"Ya gonna do something about that?" Raven suddenly asked as Flynn laid a blanket over Yuri. Flynn blinked over at him in confusion, and Raven motioned to Yuri's face. "Tis creepy, ta be honest."

"Oh...Yes...I'll do something about it in a minute..." Flynn muttered softly. Raven nodded slowly.

"...Didn't expect yer old captain ta help out like 'e did..." Raven muttered back, causing Flynn to look at him again. Raven scratched his ear with a small smile. "What? Ya think I didn't notice?"

"...It was Yuri's idea, really..." Flynn said after a moment, brushing away some of the loose hair from Yuri's face. "He was the one who believed that the Captain was still with him."

"...it's not a bad idea." Raven said, slipping out of his accent for a moment to talk seriously. "That's why you asked Rita if there was a way another spirit could inhabit a Blastia...isn't it?"

"Yes." Flynn responded almost instantly. "It was the only thing I could think of, for the blastia to be activated. Captain Fedrock was very protective of us, especially Yuri. I think he saw some of himself in Yuri...and the more that..._man_ spoke...the hotter the blastia became..." Flynn showed Raven his wrist, where there was a clear burn from the blastia.

"Geeze..." Raven scrunched his face up a bit. "ya should get that looked at..." He slipped back into the accent.

"We have enough to worry about at the moment." Flynn replied, looking away from Raven as he pulled his sleeve down to cover the burn. "I'm just going to do a few last minute things, I'll call everyone back in soon..."

"No need." Raven muttered. "They're all tuckered out..." Flynn looked over, frowning a bit. "Plus, it'll be better ta let 'Uri rest..."

"Ah...yes, you're right. Thank you for your help." Flynn gave Raven a bow, and the man just grinned.

"Sure thing~" he said cheerfully. "Ya get some rest to ya know." He ducked out of the tent and Flynn was left alone with Yuri.

* * *

_**x**_

* * *

_**AN: So there's chapter 5. I had more written, but I think it fit more in chapter six than anything else.**_

_**Raven's accent is really going to be the death of me, I don't know what I'm going to do. **_

_**This chapter was harder for me to write than most of my other chapters, I hated doing that to Yuri...but it's for the sake of the story! **_

_**As for the idea of "Captain Fedrock" it's just a thought I had. Makes things more interesting. **_


	7. Chapter Six: Reality Bend

_**So here's chapter 6. **_

_**Before you start reading, you have to realize that I have taken into account how such an event would change not only Yuri Lowell, but those around him. **_

_**This means that some of the characters will seem OOC at times. Especially in this chapter, Flynn is not acting like he normally would. However, keep in mind that there's a chance that Flynn could "loose" Yuri. That's caused him to panic. We've seen Flynn in panic mode before, and he acts nothing like he does normally. **_

_**I think deeply into how characters would act in certain situations. So please keep that in mind as you're reading this~**_

* * *

**Chapter Six: Reality Bend**

_"Life like a ghost as thin as air, it doesn't matter if you're gone...you're here nor there. If I left today, would they even know my name?"_

* * *

With a heavy sigh, Flynn let himself fall onto a stool that had been set beside Yuri's bed. His shoulders sagged, and he closed his eyes tiredly. It felt like everything had been sucked out of him, all at once. Sorrow, relief, energy...everything was gone, leaving Flynn feeling like a shell, unable to form much more than a coherent thought. He leaned backwards a bit, opening his eyes to stare at the bed that held his friend, and let out another sigh.

How could something like this happen? Yuri was usually so good about making sure he wasn't followed...and he was strong. This shouldn't have happened. Despite that...he had been missing, presumed dead, they had found him. Flynn bit down on his lip, thinking about it. They _wouldn't _have found him if it hadn't been for Repede. They hadn't even thought about searching in the Quoi Woods.

Flynn's eyes narrowed, taking in the bandages that now wrapped themselves around Yuri's body. Despite the fact that they had found him, there was a chance they were still too late. Yuri's body had been so battered and broken, various slashes, whip marks, and broken bones...that kind of trauma was never easy to overcome. And by what Egon had said made it seem like the entire time he had been missing, Yuri was being tortured. Just thinking about the things that Egon might have done to his friend sent shivers down his spine and he squeezed his eyes closed.

For a moment, Flynn tried to remember if there was ever an instance of torture that he could remember. This caused him to remember Capua Nor, when he had just been promoted to Lieutenant. A hiss left his teeth as he thought of Council Member Ragou, and the horrors that he had done in that port city. That man was far past corrupted, believing that he could control the city with taxes, and thin the populous by kidnapping those who couldn't pay the tax. With a sigh, he shook his head. Even Ragou had some sort of shred of decency, as most of the people he kidnapped at least died a quick death. Being crushed by the teeth of monsters had to be a quick death...not like this.

Flynn looked up at Yuri, trying to find something, anything in his friend's face that told that the man was still there, still with this world. This kind of thing was...terrible, slow, and agonizing. To die in such away...Flynn couldn't imagine it. He had no idea what Yuri had been through, and probably would never know even if the man survived and healed. It was these kinds of things that people kept to themselves. To be cut, broken, and battered until all that was left was nothing but a shell...that was the true meaning of torture. Flynn let out a sigh, closing his eyes tiredly, and placing his head in his hands. What could he do? Was there anything he could do? In all honesty, he wasn't sure what was worse; the fear of never finding Yuri, finding him dead, or seeing him in this condition.

There was a whine from his left, and Flynn lifted a heavy head to look down at the dog that had taken up residence in his tent as well. Normally, Repede would lay next to the exit, but now, he had taken up sitting next to Yuri's bed, laying a head next to the man's hand as if to comfort him. Flynn let out a sigh, completely at a loss. He had found Yuri, as well as Repede, but now...he had no clue how to continue. Hesitantly, he reached a hand out, placing it on the dog's head, and rubbed it gently as to not aggravate any of the dog's more serious wounds that couldn't be healed by Estellise.

"I'm sorry Repede..." Flynn apologized softly, earning a snort from the dog. "I know there's no point in regretting it now, but I should have figured it out quicker..." Flynn turned blue eyes to focus on Yuri, and with a sigh, he stood up.

Hesitantly, Flynn reached forward, turning his friend's head to where he could look directly at his face. It was almost like he feared that Yuri would shatter, as if he wasn't real. If he wasn't real, it would explain that dark, glassy gaze that continued to stare straight ahead...but he was real, as the fingertips of Flynn's hand proved. Flynn felt his eyes narrow slightly as worry wormed its way deeper into his stomach. What was it that Egon had said? Something about being trapped in a dream?

How could he wake Yuri up from such a thing? He had to try, right?

"Yuri..." Flynn started to say, taking a few steps forward and placing a hand on the pillow beside both sides of the man's head. He tried to make eye contact with Yuri, but it was hard since Yuri's eyes weren't even focused. "Yuri?...C-Can you hear me?" he heard his voice crack, and coughed a bit to clear it. "Please...do something...anything to show me that you can hear me..." The words sounded off to him, these types of things would normally never come out of him...but this was the only thing he could think of. He searched Yuri's face for some sort of reaction, then turned his head to look at the rest of the man's body, silently begging for something...anything...but there was nothing. Chewing on his bottom lip, he turned back to Yuri. "_Please_...if you are in there...you're probably trapped, right? You've got...got to wake up...Focus on me...please...We're here now...It's safe..."

Out of the corner of his eye, Flynn saw Repede lift his head, ear perked forward and focusing intently on his master's hand. Flynn turned his head once more, looking down at the hand that Repede was watching so intently, and watched for a moment...noticing the barest twitch that ran through it. Flynn let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as hope relighted in his chest, and he turned his gaze back to his friend's face.

"Yuri...you can hear me...I'm glad..." Flynn muttered, bending down and putting his forehead against Yuri's like he had when they were little. "So please...I swear to you...I will do what ever it takes to make sure...that no one will harm you again..." he paused, taking a breath. "...but you have to wa-"

The words died in Flynn's throat as he watched those dark grey eyes finally..._finally_ seemed to focus. It was only his eyes, and for a moment, he seemed confused before completely focusing on Flynn.

"Y-Yuri?" Flynn muttered, blinking slowly.

In a single moment, Flynn saw countless emotions flicker through those dark grey eyes, and none of them were good. Fear, terror, hopelessness, pain and loneliness lived in orbs where they normally would never have dwelt...where once truth, loyalty, fire, stubbornness, and life shone. Flynn felt the hope die and slam hard into his stomach as Yuri tensed, face twisting into one of desperation.

"N-no, Yuri..." Flynn tried to say, placing his hands on Yuri's shoulders. "Y-You're safe now, you don't have to be afraid..." He could do nothing but watch as tears collected in the corners of Yuri's eyes as he tried, weakly, to push Flynn off with a single hand. After a moment he stopped, staring at his hand as if he didn't understand how he could use it, and Flynn realized that the last time Yuri had even been conscious, his hands had been tied above his head. He frowned, trying again. "Y-You're okay now, I promise it. L-Lady Estellise is outside, as is the rest of your guild..." Yuri flinched at his voice, so Flynn lowered it. "We...we got you out, and...and I know you probably feel really sore, but...all you have to do is rest...a-and that will go away..." Flynn tried to give his friend a smile, to placate the obvious fear in the young man, but it just caused Yuri to flinch again. "You'll...be back to yourself in no t-time...I'm sure of it..." Yuri let out a weird cry as he turned, trying to get out of Flynn's grip. It was as if he didn't even know who Flynn was.

_"N-No...no...no more...please..."_

Flynn couldn't help but pull his head back a bit, staring down at Yuri's withering form in shock as Repede let out a growl and started to bark. Was...was that really Yuri's voice? It had sounded so broken and weak, hoarse from the amount of screaming that the man had been forced to do...all it took were those few words. From those few words, Flynn realized that Yuri truely had been through hell, and he most likely was not going to recover any time soon. Still...Flynn was determined to at least get his friend calm.

"N-No, Yuri...it's okay..." Flynn stuttered, trying to calm Yuri down. "I swear it, you're safe. You're out of that forsaken place...you'll never have to go through it again!" Nothing that he said calmed Yuri, though his struggles were getting weaker.

"Sir? Are you alright?" Sodia's voice came suddenly from outside the tent, causing Yuri to flinch and let out another one of those weird...cries. Flynn bit his lip, knowing that since the last time the two of them were in the same room it had ended badly, it would be better if Yuri was completely calm before Sodia even came into his sight.

"I'm fine Sodia...j-just...not right now!" Flynn called back, barely taking his eyes off of his friend. He tightened his grip a bit on Yuri's shoulders, trying to get a better footing as Yuri flinched jerkily, as if he could barely control his own movements. "Yuri...it's me, Flynn. Please...please, focus on me!" There had to be something he could do...something to calm Yuri down.

Flynn paused for a moment, frowning and gritting his teeth. There was..._one_ thing he could try. He doubted it would work, since he hadn't had to do it in years upon years...but it was worth a shot.

"Please...it's okay, Yuri...it's okay..." Flynn repeated, lowering his head once again to where it was touching his friend's forehead. "I'm not going to hurt you...I promise. You know that..." he paused, lowering the volume of his voice and attempting to find a soothing tone. He hadn't made his voice go this low in a long time. "Yuri...do you remember when we were little?" he asked, closing his eyes. "I do...I remember you'd always wake up in the middle of the night...you had night terrors. When you stayed with us...you would always end up having one...and in order to keep mother from waking up, I would do this. I would sit here...with my forehead pressed against yours...remember?"

Flynn waited, feeling Yuri's struggles under his hands slow to a sluggish shiver. It was almost as if the energy had left him, and with one final...pitiful sounding whine, Yuri went relatively still. Flynn opened his eyes, taking in what his friend looked like. The raven haired man had his eyes turned away from the blonde, huffing as if he couldn't breathe, and eyes half lidded. Flynn felt his mouth twist into a frown, noticing that the look on Yuri's face was not his usual cocky self...or even of embarrassment. No, Yuri was avoiding looking at Flynn due to fear. His body may have calmed, but his fear was not placated. He was terrified, and Flynn could tell...just by the way he could feel a small shiver run through his friend every few seconds. Flynn let out a sigh, moving on to the next objective: Get Yuri to respond to him.

"See, Yuri?" Flynn muttered, keeping his voice as soft as possible. "It's just like when we were kids. You would have a night terror...and I would sit like this for hours until you calmed." he paused again, letting out another sigh. "You'd be so embarrassed, and try to play it tough...but when I tried to leave, you would always ask me to stay..." Flynn had to stop, trying to find the words to say. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them, and attempting to make eye contact with his friend. It didn't work. "I...I don't know what to do, Yuri...but...I swear to you, that it's going to be okay...I just...please...please look at me...please let me know that...you're still in there..." Seconds ticked by as blue eyes scanned the face in front of him. Flynn waited, trying to give Yuri as much time as he needed...but as the minutes started going by, Flynn felt that hope that had come up into his chest start to die. His heart clenched as he realized that Yuri might must be too far to hear him.

_"...Dream..."_

Flynn blinked, unsure who had spoken. It was such a broken...tired voice, that he wasn't sure if he had heard correctly. He turned his head to look at Repede, who's ear was perked forward. For a moment, he thought it might have been Sodia from outside...but he quickly discarded that idea. Sodia had no reason to randomly say the world 'dream' so...that left only one other person who could have spoken. Flynn turned his attention to the man below him.

"...What?" Flynn asked, trying his best to keep his voice level and soft. His blue eyes narrowed, watching his friend. Yuri's half lidded eyes didn't move from where they were staring at the canvas of the tent. Flynn bit the corner of his lip.

_"...This...reality...it's no...good." _came that same...broken...tired voice. This time, however, Flynn was positive that it had come from Yuri. A final shiver ran through Yuri, before the man let out a deep long sigh and his eyes slowly drifted closed. Flynn felt the color drain from his face, an unknown terror raising up from his gut.

"Yuri...what are you talking about?" Flynn asked, his grip tightening slightly. "Aren't...aren't we here? Don't...don't you realize who I am? It's me...Flynn..." For some reason, the way Yuri was speaking terrified Flynn. It made it sound like Yuri was just giving up...and Flynn wasn't sure he would be able to handle that.

_"...I want to dream..."_ came the reply, and Flynn felt that terror rise even further. _"When...I dream...there's no pain...This reality...is painful...I don't want any more pain...I want to go back...to that other reality..."_

With a jolt, Flynn realized what Yuri wanted to do, and panic filled him. Yuri wanted to leave this world behind. Egon had completely shattered his friend's mind with pain. Flynn wasn't sure what all Egon had done to Yuri, but it was enough for him to loose faith in those around him.

"No...please..." Flynn found himself at a loss for words as the reality sank in. "Yuri...please, please don't do this..." he pulled away, feeling his own hands shaking. "Please don't leave me here...don't do this..." There were a few agonizing moments of complete silence. Flynn felt his hands shaking, and he had to move them from Yuri's shoulders to above them, just beside his friend's head. Yuri didn't reply...and Flynn felt terror grab him as hot tears stung the sides of his eyes. He knew...he knew that if Yuri didn't _want_ to live, that if he slipped under now...there would be no way for him to return...he would waste away...like those shells in Egon's basement had...

_"...Why?"_

Finally there was a reply, and Flynn let out a gasp. He nearly sobbed in relief as he pressed his forehead against Yuri's once again. Closing his eyes, he shook his head for a moment, relief completely flooding him. There was a chance to convince him...

"Because...I...I mean...we want you here." Flynn found himself floundering and stuttering. He needed to make his point. "We...we need you. Please...you have to believe me when I...say that I'll make sure that you don't feel any more pain. I know...it probably hurts right now, but...we just only got you out, we just...just only healed you. You need a bit of time to recover, but I swear, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you stay safe...I don't...I don't know why you were targeted...but I won't let anyone lay another finger on you." he paused, taking a breath. "I know...I know you hate depending on people, but...but you have to stay...what would we do without you..." Flynn felt his breath come hard, winded from the amount of words that he had just said. He had to convince Yuri to live...he just had too. Peaking an eye open, Flynn found a pair of half lidded blank dark orbs staring back at him. For a moment, Flynn couldn't say anything, too lost in astonishment over the lost, terrified look in Yuri's eyes. There was very little life in them, even when focused on him, and Flynn took a deep breath, letting it out through his nose to prepare himself to continue.

"It's rather funny...actually" Flynn started up again, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Yu-Yuri, you have a terrible habit of getting yourself into trouble...When we were children, you were always getting into fights, stealing bread from the venders, and just getting into trouble in general. As we grew up, it only got worse, but it was a soothing type of worse. You'd...disappear for days, only to turn up in the oddest of places..." Flynn paused again. "Even during our adventures...like the events at Zaude. You disappeared for weeks...I searched everywhere for you, refused to call off the search...and you reappear randomly in Zaphias...battered and injured, but still so alive. I always new that you would turn up. You're just so...stubborn. You don't like to worry people, you can't stand the idea of people...agonizing over you." Flynn took a breath, giving himself a moment as he pressed his forehead a little bit harder against Yuri's. "If you leave now...just...just when we've finally found you after two weeks of hell...I don't...I don't know what I'd do. I should have...been able to do something...and if you leave, I don't...I don't know what I'm going to do..." He paused again, scrunching his eyes closed as he felt the tears of regret tug at the edges. He couldn't cry..."This...This is all my fault...I'm...I'm so sorry. I should have known...I shouldn't have waited as long as I did...please...let...let me make it up to you. Please don't...don't...leave...Stay here..."

Flynn had to stop talking, else he start blabbering like a fool. He waited, keeping his eyes closed, and praying that Yuri understood what he meant. He had to make sure that Yuri understood that he wouldn't be able to stand it if his friend left in this way...because Yuri was one of the few constant things in his life. Everything kept changing around him, and Yuri never did. He was always there, unhooking that window...surely he understood that...he had too...

_"But I..." _Yuri's voice, broken as it was, wavered slightly, as if he was second guessing himself. _"That...that would lead to more...pain...I don't want that...I don't..."_ Flynn opened his eyes, staring down at his friend...and was struck once again at how lost and vulnerable Yuri looked. Flynn couldn't remember any time that Yuri had looked so...weak. Even when he was beaten down to the point of exhaustion...Yuri had never looked weak. It made Flynn's chest ache, realizing that this Yuri was far different from what he remembered. Still, that didn't mean that this wasn't his friend. It pissed Flynn off to no end to know exactly who had done this to Yuri, and that the man responsible was still on the loose. Shoving those thoughts into the back of his mind, Flynn shook his head slowly, keeping his forehead against Yuri's.

"But if you leave...it'll hurt everyone else far more...Think about it. Lady Estellise...she's been worrying herself sick over you, and where you were, and if you were okay..." Flynn muttered, noticing something flicker in those dulled eyes. Hope rose just a bit, and he continued. "Your guild, Brave Vesperia, has floundered considerably, despite the fact that you're not even the leader. Mr. Capel is lost, unsure of what to do and how to handle the guild on his own." Flynn paused for a moment to let that news sink in, watching Yuri's facial expressions flicker back and forth. "Do you honestly think that if you give up...like you want too...that it won't be painful? It'll be painful to us, Yuri, because you won't be there anymore..." Flynn retracted a bit, placing his hands gently on Yuri's shoulders. After a moment, he squeezed them and then let go. "Listen to me, Yuri. You have to trust us...when I say that we're not going to let anything else get you. Ever. So please..."

Flynn watched Yuri, the flashes that occurred in those dull eyes. It was as if he was fighting against himself, and Flynn couldn't help but wonder what exactly he was fighting. Was it the idea of pain? Or perhaps the idea of retreating to a dream. It seemed that they had found Yuri at a crucial moment, in the twixt between reality and a retreat. If this was true...every word...every second counted.

_"But...I..."_

Yuri's voice sounded weaker than it had before, and Flynn let out a sigh. He probably was exhausted...but the fear was very evident in the pit of Flynn's stomach. If he let Yuri rest now, would the man even return to the waking world later? Flynn had no way of knowing, and that terrified him.

"Yuri...I know your exhausted..." Flynn muttered, bending down once more and placing his forehead against Yuri's, his eyes closed. "So I want you to promise me something...if you can promise this to me, I'll...I'll let you rest, okay?" Flynn opened his eyes and pulled away once more. He found Yuri staring at him, blank grey eyes holding a hint of confusion. "I want you to promise me that you'll wake up in the morning." There was a flash of terror on Yuri's face, and Flynn bit his lip. "I want to prove to you that this...that we aren't going to let anything happen to you...so I need...I need you to trust me, to wake up, and return to this reality, instead of the one that you've made in your mind."

Flynn wasn't sure if it was the look on his face, or the way that he subconsciously reached down to grip Yuri's hand, but whatever it was, something made Yuri calm. The man stared at him for the longest time, as if calculating him with those dulled eyes. Then he let out a low sigh, his body relaxing slowly.

_"...Okay."_ he muttered, his voice sounding far too weak as his eyes slipped closed. _"...I promise."_

For a moment, Flynn didn't move, watching Yuri. The raven haired man hadn't moved, indicating that he had already slipped into whatever sleep he could get. It scared Flynn, because while he knew that Yuri typically never broke promises, he was unsure if that part of Yuri had been broken as well. So much of his friend had been broken, chipped away, and he wasn't sure how to take it.

He knew that what he had said wasn't something he would normally say. In fact, Flynn found himself wondering if he was even the same person as 2 weeks ago. So much had happened in these few weeks, he wasn't sure what was up or down. Yes, they had found Yuri. That much he was extremely grateful for...and he would do whatever it took to make sure Yuri recovered. Still, he was worried.

Yuri was broken. That's the easiest way he could describe it to himself. He told himself that over and over in his head. Egon had managed to do it...and Flynn wasn't sure if he knew how to 'fix' his friend...if there even was a way to do so. Flynn was at a loss...

With a low sigh, Flynn bent down and placed a blanket over his friend. At least Yuri looked peaceful...that was a plus. He wondered what type of dream...what reality Yuri's mind had created to combat the pain of the torture. Just thinking about it made Flynn's stomach churn...he didn't want his friend to stay in those dreams. They were wrong...This was the reality that Yuri belonged in, that he needed to be in...but it seemed that Yuri didn't _want_ this reality anymore.

Flynn blinked. That's what he had to do. He had to make Yuri want to be in this reality, instead of the dream one. If Yuri was scared of the waking world, then he would never leave the dream that he had created...Flynn had to somehow make the waking world appealing to Yuri.

Letting out a grumble, Flynn stood on wavering legs, and gave Repede a pat on the head.

"Stay here with him, okay Repede?" Flynn muttered softly, keeping his voice down so that he wouldn't startle Yuri. The dog snorted before settling himself down, and Flynn made his way to the tent flap. Raising it, he found Sodia pacing. "...Sodia..."

"Ah!" Sodia turned in surprise, face lighting up in relief. "I-Is everything okay? I heard the dog barking, and came as quickly as I could..."

"Yes...I believe Yuri had a panic attack. He's resting now." Flynn replied, nodding slowly. He watched Sodia's face twist slightly.

"Is he..." she started to say, and Flynn bit the corner of his lip.

"No. He's not alright." He said, his eyes narrowing. "Whatever that man did to him..." Flynn had to stop himself, taking a deep breath. "Sodia, would you please get Lady Estellise? I...need to speak with her..."

"Y-Yes, of course!" Sodia gave him a short salute, before turning and making her way to the tent in which the Princess resided. Flynn watched her go before turning his head up to the sky. His eyes focused on that star, the brightest one in the sky.

Despite everything that happened that year, that star managed to continue to shine. Flynn found it amazing, even after being struck by Zaude, even after letting the Adephagos through...it still managed to shine so bright.

Flynn felt the hand of his fist tighten. Yuri used to be like that star, shining no matter what happened...and now Flynn would have to coax that light back to him. 

"...If I ever get my hands on Egon...he will wish he was never born..." Flynn muttered under his breath, and he didn't even have the energy to be surprised how dark his voice sounded.


	8. Chapter Six: A Perfect World

**Chapter Seven: A Perfect World  
**

_A world without you in it...wouldn't be worth anything at all._

* * *

Night seemed to have snuck up on them, Flynn mused as he waited just outside the tent for Sodia to wake the Princess. He frowned to himself, it hadn't been anywhere near dusk when they had returned...but the time it had taken to tend to Yuri had sucked the day away. Focusing steely eyes on the stars above, Flynn let out a sigh. The other needed rest, that much was for sure...so he supposed it wasn't a bad thing that night had descended.

Yuri...

Grumbling to himself, Flynn's eyes narrowed. He had a small idea of what might need to be done...but it was really only an idea. An inkling of something that could be done to help his friend...but he had no idea of how to execute it. How on earth was he supposed to convince Yuri that this reality was better than the one he had created in his mind?

A reality with no pain...no hardships...everything going just as planned no matter what...that was the reality that Yuri had created in his mind, just to get away from the pain of this one...how was he supposed to counter that? Just how...

"Flynn?" a sleepy voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he lowered his head to look at the owner. A disheveled Princess stood in front of him, blinking tired green eyes at him as she tried to run a hand through her hair in an attempt to straighten it. "What is it? Is something wrong? Did something happen?" worry tinged her voice, and he didn't have to look hard to see the concern hidden behind the exhaustion.

"ah...No." Flynn said quickly, trying to placate the fear that had obviously built up in Estellise, shaking his head a few times. "It's...nothing like that. I'm sorry for waking you."

"Oh! No, it's fine!" she responded, trying to sound cheerful though the worry never once left her voice. She turned her head, scanning the ground as if looking for something. "I...wasn't really sleeping, anyways. It's...kind of hard too...since I'm...worrying about...ah, there's one!" she interrupted her own speech and bent down, grabbing a couple of boxes, setting them beside each other. She smiled at Flynn and sat down, patting the box next to her as an indication for him to join her. "...How's...Yuri?"

"I..." Flynn floundered for a moment. In all honesty, he shouldn't have been surprised by the question, and yet he was, and had no answer. He opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again, only to close it with a sigh as he sat down on the box. Propping his elbows on his knees, he placed his chin on his hands, trying to think of how to word what he wanted to say. He was glad for Estellise's patience, as she waited and smoothed her skirt out a bit. "...not good." he finally managed to respond, and Estellise raised her head, a frown on her face.

"I...see..." Estellise muttered, pain evident in her voice. She twisted her hands in her lap, thinking. "Do...you think he'll be okay though?" she asked after a moment, and every fiber in Flynn's body wanted to tell her the answer she wanted to hear. He hated seeing her so torn up...it reminded him of...

"...I don't know." Flynn answered, watching her out of the corner of his eye. "I...well, I did manage to get him to respond to me..."

"Really?! Oh that's great news!" The Princess sounded so relieved it made Flynn wince. Just thinking about the way Yuri had acted left a bad taste in his mouth, and he hated to turn that hope around on her...

"Yes...and...no." he said after a few moments of trying to figure out what to say. She instantly calmed, confusion on her face, and he realized that he had slipped into a diplomatic facade. Biting his lip, he tried to brush it off, to push it to the side. He wasn't dealing with politics, he was dealing with friends...but for some reason...he was highly unnerved by even speaking of the actions that Yuri had portrayed. How on earth was he supposed to tell one of Yuri's closest friends that he didn't want to live in this world? How could he tell her that Yuri was completely and utterly broken? Pushing his face into his hands, he gave a sigh. "While...I got him to respond...it wasn't...I mean...ah...I...I don't even know how to put it into words, Lady Estellise..."

"Try."

Her voice echoed for a moment, and he realized she had moved closer, placing a hand on his leg to try and comfort him.

"Don't worry if it sounds weird. We'll figure it out." she said, and he blinked at her for a moment, before sighing and nodding.

"I...I don't think Yuri..." he started to say, and stopped. No, this wasn't how he wanted to start this. He paused, and took a breath, steeling himself. "Lady Estellise...do you remember...what that man said?" She blinked a few times before scowling.

"I'd...rather not." she muttered, anger evident in her voice, and on her face. Flynn turned his head away from her, focusing on the dark grass in front of him. He didn't want to see her facial expressions as he told her this.

"...I think he succeeded." he muttered after a moment, his eyes narrowing as he heard the Princess suck in a breath of shock. "When...I got Yuri to finally respond...to look at me...It was all wrong." he paused, scowling. "He was terrified of me, Lady Estellise...terrified of the idea of someone being near him...Terrified of his best friend! I did everything I could to placate him...to let him know i wasn't going to hurt him, but it did little good..."

The was silence for a good few minutes as the information sunk in for Estellise. Flynn took the time to think. How was he supposed to go about making it to where Yuri actually _wanted _to live? And with a jolt that rocked him to his core, he realized that he knew very little about Yuri now. They had lost touch over the past few years, ever since before the Adephagos. Flynn realized that he had distanced himself from Yuri when he found out that the man was taking the darker side of the law...Flynn almost clawed at his head in agrivation. How was he supposed to help Yuri, if he didn't even _know_ his friend anymore?!

"What do we do Flynn?" Estellise suddenly asked, jolting Flynn to look at her. She was holding her hands to her chest, knuckles white as she gripped them together. "...That's...that's not something i can...heal. I can only heal physical wounds...not...not mental...How can I help him...if I can't even..."

She was panicking...spiraling downward, and that was something Flynn would not have. He could not afford for her to loose hope!

"Lady Estellise..." Flynn started to say, biting his lip before continuing. "I don't think he's completely gone." The Princess looked up at him, green eyes filling with hope, and he forced himself to believe in it as well, even if it was so far-fetched. "t's...it's going to take a lot, but I...I think we can bring him back." He tilted his head to look up at the sky, leaning back just a bit. "...he said he wanted to dream...to where there was no pain. It was as if he didn't want to be here anymore...but I don't think he's exactly willing to leave it behind..."

"You...You mean he just...wants to sleep forever?!" panic laced her voiced, and he let out a sigh. He knew what she was thinking, his own mind had gone back to those shells in Egon's basement.

"I...I think so." he muttered, scowling at the sob that came from the Princess. "But...I think something is holding him back from that. Some sort of...buried hope that we'd help him." He paused. "I managed to get him to promise that...he'd wake up in the morning...But...we have to somehow find a way to convince Yuri to stay in this reality..."

"Reality?" her voice echoed confusion, and Flynn blinked at her. She didn't understand the reason why he had used that word, and it was obvious by the way her head was tilted to the side.

"I...I think Yuri has created...something like an alternate reality in his mind." Flynn tried to explain as best he could, with what little information he had. "Like...an escape from everything going on around him. If this is true, and he really has created this alternate reality...then that place is probably...the _perfect_ place." He put emphasis on perfect, and Estellise winced. "It's...it's going to be hard to convince him that this reality is better..."

"So you think that he's living two lives?" she asked, and he couldn't help but blink. He...hadn't thought of it that way, but it would make sense. "If...if that's true then...is it even possible to bring him back to this reality?!"

The panic rising in her voice, the tears in her eyes...

"Yuri doesn't break his promises." Flynn said, putting as much conviction into his voice as he could. "...at least...the Yuri I know doesn't. So I think as long as we get him to promise he'll return to this reality...it'll be okay."

"Then...what do we do? What do you think we should do, Flynn?" Lady Estellise looked at him, and he knew she expected an answer. Usually Yuri was the one with all the answers, the simplest of answers a lot of times, and that was how his group functioned. Now, with him unable to function, someone had to take up the slack...

But Flynn faltered. He hadn't been expecting her to ask him that, and he hadn't really thought about it. He hadn't the time. Everything had happened so quickly and he wasn't sure what he could do...or should do, for that matter.

Keeping Yuri in the area was impossible, that much was certain. He needed proper care and being so close to the area that they had found him was far too dangerous. Egon was apparently still on the loose, and there was no way Flynn was taking the chance of the man still being in the area. It was highly probably that Egon would attempt to kidnap the man again...or worse, outright kill him. And with Yuri in the condition he was in, there was no way of him retaliating.

"Yuri has to be moved." he muttered, half to himself, half to Estellise. It was a given. What wasn't a given was where to move him too. Flynn was sure that Yuri would likely be more comfortable in a place like Dhangrest.

"What about Dhangrest?" Estelle offered, as if reading his thoughts, and Flynn mulled it over. With the current treaty between the Guilds and the Empire, Dhangrest would be a great place to house Yuri. Most of the people there liked him, and for the most part, Flynn didn't see a problem with it. But, Dhangrest was the city of guilds...

"No..." Flynn answered after a moment, shaking his head. "Dhangrest is the city of guilds...It was a guild that did this to Yuri..."

"But most of the guilds like Brave Vesperia...wouldn't they rise up to protect it?" Estellise seemed confused.

"We don't know that." Flynn shook his head again. Brave Vesperia was in fact a well liked guild, and Flynn was on the same thought train as Estellise, but people were too easily swayed by money and prizes...especially Guildmen.

"...then...maybe Halure?"

That was a thought. Peaceful and quiet, and the people there absolutely adored Yuri and his group. It was a serious possibility...even with barriers gone. Yuri had come right out and said that it was their fault to the people of Halure...the town understood, and even welcomed them with open arms. It was also where Estellise spent most of her time...It was quiet, and perfect for someone who needed to recover from some sort of trauma.

"It would be perfect...but it's not very well guarded..." he muttered, saddened by the thought. "It's...far too easy for someone to get in, and that could harm Yuri."

"Ah...that's...that's true...The people there aren't...really fighters..." Estellise's voice was full of dejection. "Th-Then...where?"

There were very few places left, Flynn mused. There was New Aspio...but Flynn quickly scratched that out due to the fact that the people there were so focused on recovering the information lost in Aspio. Capua Nor or Torim were choices...but with the issues that had arisen in the few years earlier, Flynn was wary of even being in town for a prolonged period of time.

That left only one place. One place that would surely be safe from attack, and would be able to give the proper care to Yuri.

"...I think...we should take him to Zaphias." he said after a moment, "I think it's the safest place for him."

"But...Yuri was never really fond of Zaphias..." Estellise muttered, a hand on her chin.

"Yes...I'm aware of that...but I've thought about it. Since Egon got away, i'm almost certain he will come for Yuri again." _If not for the mere idea of torturing him...and me, again._ Flynn kept the last thought to himself, gritting his teeth slightly.

"I...I see...that's...true. And at Zaphias, we'd be able to protect him better..." Estellise let out a sigh. "I understand...but what of the other members of Brave Vesperia? They...they're really worried, and I know they'll want to stay close by to him...what will we tell them?"

"The truth." Flynn said firmly, nodding to her. "They've stuck with him this far, and they're his guild. I...I'm not completely knowledgeable on the laws of the guilds, but I know that Yuri held them all in high regards. It would almost be a crime for us to not tell the truth.

"That's true..." Estellise smoothed out her dress, the frown never leaving her face. "But I'm worried. The people in the capital and the Council is still in effect...they all hold issues with the Guilds..."

"Perhaps." Flynn put a hand on his chin. "I think, when we get there, I'll have a talk with Master Ioder. The decision is his, in the end, and the Council cannot do anything against him." he paused for a moment, blue eyes narrowing slightly as he focused on the grass in front of him. "Normally I wouldn't say such things...but...I do hope Master Ioder remembers that he owes Yuri his life..."

Things quieted down a bit for a few moments, allowing the dust to figuratively settle. Flynn took the chance and closed his eyes, resting his chin on his hands...but he was unable to keep his mind from what Egon had said. To force someone to abandon their body, just to get away from pain...the very idea of it...

"Flynn...?"

Estellise's voice brought him out of his musing, and he opened his eyes...blinking a few times. After a second, he shook his head and turn to look at her, attempting to give a small smile, that ended up being a little too shaky.

"What is it Lady Estellise?" he asked, and noticed that the frown had not left her face.

"I think I've realized why you and Yuri are such good friends." She muttered, turning her head away to look up at the stars. "With Yuri out of the picture, you've become...different." Flynn found himself blinking again, this time in confusion.

"Different...?" he asked, concern building up in his chest. What did she mean by that?

"Yes. I think...Yuri balances you out." Estellise replied, nodding to herself. "Ever since I met you, I knew you were nothing but good. You had a drive in you that most others didn't have, a unshakable will. You followed the rules and laws almost to a fault, going down the road in front of you and never wavering...and it was only until i met Yuri that i saw the other half of that law." she paused, letting out a sigh and the frown deepened slightly. "When I met Yuri, I knew...he was nothing but good as well. He was kind, and soft...but a bit impulsive. He wouldn't let anyone tell him what to do, and followed his own path...but he also couldn't stand to see someone go injured. I remember...I was so surprised as to how similar you and him were."

"Well...we did grow up together...?" Flynn offered, but the Princess shook her head, signaling that she wasn't done.

"When I realized what the difference was between you two, it was already far too late." she replied, leveling him in her gaze. There was a fire there that hadn't been there, and he was surprised. "Yuri is good, yes...but he took a far different approach to that good. I suppose the only way to describe him at that point was...someone who thought good, but acted evilly." She shook her head suddenly. "No, that's...not right. He did evil things in order to better the world for good. Ragou, Cumore...even Alexei. They all died by his hand...but they died for a good cause. If they they hadn't been ended like that...innocent people would have been killed."

"That's...true." Flynn muttered, lowering his head in thought. All of what she had said was true. People would have died, and Flynn had wanted to do things by the book. He knew that if things had been done by the book, more people would have died. "and...after what happened with Cumore, I was..."

"Ready to stop Yuri if you needed too. I know." Estellise gave him a small mile when he gave a sigh. He nodded after a moment. "And Yuri was ready to stop you if you ever became too much like them...too corrupted. But...I've noticed something...since Yuri was missing...You..."

A pit formed in his stomach at this.

"I, what, Lady Estellise?" Flynn asked, he was genuinely curious, but for some reason apprehensive of the answer. What had she noticed?

"You've become...darker." She said simply, causing Flynn to blink. "Without Yuri to take on the darker aspects of your...relationship...you've taken on those aspects yourself as well." the pit in his stomach grew as she continued to talk. "It showed the most when we were going into Egon's...whatever it was. You...who had always done everything to make sure your enemies at least lived to face trial...were ready and willing to cut down just about anyone in your way."

Flynn turned away from her, biting his lip. So that's what this was...Yuri balanced him out to this point? How had he not been aware of it until now? They had grown up together in the Lower Quarter...relying on each other far too much it seemed...that it caused this...

"...Perhaps I have..." he finally said, his voice soft as he thought about it. His eyes narrowed, and he raised his hand to his chest, where the mana crystal that controlled his artes rested. If he was in fact turning to the darker aspects as Yuri had...then..."If that's true...then...I shouldn't..."

"You are where you belong, Flynn." Estellise said quickly, suddenly taking his hand in her own,

"Lady Estellise..." Flynn started to say, before biting his lip. "I'll...I'll be honest with you...when we were down there...I...scarcely knew what I was doing..." he muttered, trying to pull his hand away. "I was...only vaguely aware of my own actions...I knew that I was angry...and that these people were in my way...but...Is...Are those the emotions that Yuri goes through...?"

"I think...Yuri was like that at first." Estellise replied, her grip tightening on his hand. "He always seemed to enjoy the fights that we had, almost...losing himself in battle. But...as our group...grew in size, something happened." she paused, her eyes turning downwards in thought. "When it was just me, him, and Karol...he was very reckless. He took on almost all of the stronger enemies himself, doing this so often that i was almost always healing his injuries. It was around the time that we met Rita that I realized that he had...at least in his mind, assigned us jobs. He would attack, Karol would support, and I would heal. During the battle with the large Sentry Golem that Dedeci activated, one of the first few battles that we fought with Rita, that balance was upset. I think he finally realized the way he was fighting...was...wrong."

"Wrong?" Flynn found himself confused. He knew that Yuri was reckless, it wasn't new to him. However, the way that Estellise had worded that last part was...confusing. He watched her brow furrow in thought as she shook her head.

"No, that's not right...When Rita joined us, Yuri's movements started to get...calculated. He obviously still enjoyed the fights, still seeming to loose himself, but there was a calculated measure to it. It was almost as if he was realizing it was...okay for him to rely on other people. It wasn't obvious at first...far from it, actually." Estellise suddenly looked sheepish, "But from my years spent pent up in the castle, I got used to watching people, learning about them and figuring things out..." she gave a sigh, lowering her head a bit. "I first fully realized how much he had changed when we were in the Wesand of Cados. It was the first time any of us had come across a Gigantos Monster...and about half way through the battle...something happened. Something seemed to snap. Judith was fighting, Karol was doing everything he could to get close enough, I was focused on spamming my healing artes as much as I could, Rita was trying to figure out the thing's weak spot...there was just so much going on, i couldn't keep track of everyone." she paused and looked up at him. "And then all of a sudden, Yuri darted in and grabbed Karol by his bandanna, took my wrist, and said '_This is far too much, we gotta go!' "_

"That's...quite unlike him..." Flynn muttered, and Estellise nodded her head.

"Exactly. I was so surprised that I didn't even try to pull my arm out of his grip as he drug us away and called for Judith to quit fighting. Judy was so upset...and Yuri even got a bit angry with her, later telling her that if she wanted to go back and get eaten, then that was fine, but he wasn't going to cut her out." she paused for a moment again. "I watched him get darker and darker, more and more calculated...slowly he lost...that joy in fighting, as enemies began to be too easy to read. I don't think anyone really noticed how much he had changed, until it came to light what he had done...especially when Yeager said something about Ragou's death. Everyone else had something to say about it...but...him. I could barely see his face...but what i could see held anger...rage...and...regret."

"Yuri did not regret his actions at that ti-" Flynn started to say, his hand clenching slightly at the thought.

"Yes he did." Estellise cut him off, leveling him with a firm glare. It left Flynn floundering. He couldn't really make himself believe that...Yuri regretted his actions that soon? That...that was impossible, wasn't it? He had been so cocky at the time...so sure of himself...

"Yuri lives with what he had to do every day. You...didn't see the way he slept, curled on his side...the way he carried himself...but I did." Estellise paused, looking down sadly. "Sometimes...the nightmares got far too much for him to handle, and he wouldn't sleep for days. Sometimes his shoulders slumped so far down I thought he was ill. Sometimes his voice would crack when talking about Ragou, or afterwards, Yeager and the Don. Yuri may not have shown it, but he regretted the actions he had to take in order to better the world from the very start. And...I know...in the future, he'll do more things that he will regret."

Flynn was left speechless for a moment, as he process the information he had been given. Yet, that hope died slightly as she spoke of the future.

"...That is...if he recovers..." Flynn managed to mutter, watching the hurt and pain return to those green eyes in front of him.

"Yes...but he will recover! Because he has you, and he has me, and he has everyone else." Estellise looked so sure of himself, so positive that Flynn couldn't help but let that hope fill him as well. "Until then, I'll do for you, what I did for Yuri." She gave him a blinding smile, but Flynn couldn't help be confused. What did she mean by that.

"What did you do for Yuri, Lady Estellise?" he asked softly, trying his hardest to return that smile, but failing. Her grip on his hand tightened, surprising him.

"I'll ground you. From this point, until Yuri is back on his feet, I'll make sure you stay grounded...stay on the path you need to be on." She said firmly, her grip never once faltering. "I did it for him, and though I know he still did those things while being grounded, he could have possibly done far worse. I'll...I'll make sure that doesn't happen for you, okay?"

Flynn could only stare at the Princess in front of him. She had been through everything with Yuri...through being thrust into a world she didn't understand, kidnapped, hurt, told she wasn't meant to exist, and...even almost dieing...Yet, she managed to keep such a positive outlook on everything. Despite everything...she was still so pure. Perhaps it was that purity that had drawn Yuri in...like a moth to flame, just like it had himself. There was no convincing her otherwise.

"Very well." Flynn finally spoke after a moment, his mouth twisting into a small smile, a real one. "It's not like I can convince you otherwise."

"That's true." Estellise gave a small laugh at that, letting go of Flynn's hand and standing. Flynn followed in suit, stretching a bit.

"You should get some rest Lady Estellise...I'll, I'll watch over him." his words stuttered, but he remained firm as Estellise looked at him with a frown.

"...alright. You should get some rest too, Flynn. Don't push yourself too hard." she muttered, shaking her head a few times before walking away towards her own tent. Flynn watched her go before turning his attention to the tent flap that led to his own tent.

Apprehension found itself building in his gut, and no matter what he told himself, he realized he didn't want to face what was beyond. Yuri had promised he'd wake in the morning...but...what if he didn't make it until morning? Letting a breath out of his nose, he steeled himself. He wouldn't let Yuri die...not like this.

Lifting the flap with his hand, Flynn entered, and his eyes immediately found Yuri's prone form. The raven-haired man hadn't moved...hadn't even budged from where he had passed out from, head turned to the side and breaths uneven. Repede raised his head from where he lay at the foot of the bed, and gave a whine before settling back down. The blonde pulled a box closer so that he could sit on it, propping his head up on the bed as he watched his friend.

"...We'll figure this out...somehow Yuri..." he muttered to himself, his eyes drifting closed. He wasn't aware he was this tired...or else he wouldn't have settled his head down...but now he couldn't fight it.

Within moments, Flynn was completely under, taken by whatever dreams held in store for him.

* * *

_The bell rang, startling him and causing him to look up from his book. Was class over already? It felt like he had just picked up the book. _

_"Hey, what are you doing Flynn? Come on already!" _

_That voice..._

_He turned his head, watching as the raven-haired man beside him gave a grin as he hopped off his desk and put his hands on Flynn's. _

_"It's free period. We gotta go meet the others. You...are coming, right?"_

_...Yuri?_

_"You know the answer to that, Yuri. I have to study for the finals. I can't afford to waste time." _

_No...i...I need too...what is this? _

_"Aw, come on Flynn...please?" the man practically begged, and something changed. It wasn't large, but something shifted. _

_"ha...Fine." _

_What? _

_"Really?!" Yuri gave a blinding grin. "That's great! Come on, we'll go together!" _

_"Yeah yeah, Yuri...as thanks, you'll be studying with me later." Flynn muttered, picking his books up and shifting his weight as the raven-haired man deflated some. _

_"aww come on, you don't have to be like that..." he muttered dejectedly, rubbing the back of his head. _

_"Finals are important Yuri, if we don't pass, then we can't move on." Flynn said sternly, before walking out the door. For a moment, Yuri didn't move, his eyes narrowing. _

_"...maybe that's the point."_


End file.

Tales of Vesperia, Angst, Hurt-Comfort