AN: Hey guys! Long time, huh? New story for the game Tales of Vesperia. Good lord, amazing, get an XBox and play it! Heheh. Anyway. There will be some mature later, but not yet. This happens as if the end of the game DOES NOT HAPPEN. And we skip forword 2 years as well.

Situation: Estellise is still heir. There is still blastia. The Adephagos doesn't exist. Yuri is having a difficult time as he and the rest of Brave Vesperia return Estellise to the castle.

Child of the Full Moon

By Apherion

Chapter 1

She was beautiful. He still couldn't get over that fact as she stared at the full moon above. Estellise, the princess in line for the throne, was bathed in the pure light from the circular orb that filled the night sky. The man watching over her did nothing to approach her, deep in her thoughts.

However, Karol wasn't the least bit intimidated…spellbound by her entire being.

"Estelle! You're still up?" The boy was still too young to be concerning himself with why a twenty year-old woman couldn't sleep.

"I couldn't sleep, Karol. And you're one to talk!" Her chastising was marred by the smile and giggle that formed on her lips. Karol laughed with her, but suddenly he stopped short.

"Estelle!" He was shocked, just now seeing the glow that emanated from her tonight. "I can see why they call you "Child of the Full Moon"." Estelle just smiled her kind smile.

"You should probably get some rest," she whispered to him, and he yawned to further prove her statement.

"All right, but…make sure you get some, too. After all, Brave Vesperia is your guardian, and we don't want you to be tired." The man followed Karol with his eyes, but still did not move from his spot.

The princess then reached up daintily with her arms, stretching while saying a little too loud, "Well, I suppose I should keep watch seeing as I cannot sleep." A smirk tugged at the man's lips. Her green eyes found him as she clarified herself. "That means you can sleep now, Yuri."

Yuri did not move from his spot, but he smiled wider, amused with her attempt to be pushy. He heard her sigh and watch her head lean back to watch the moon. Her soft pink hair, slightly longer than when they had started their journey two years ago, fell across her shoulders. Yuri felt his eyes slip close momentarily, and before he knew it, Estelle was approaching him.

"Yuri, we both shouldn't keep watch. I'll alleviate you so you may rest." Her voice was music to his ears, a lullaby and a call to send his blood racing through his veins. There would be no point in sleeping; something inside him would not allow him to sleep if he let her be the watcher. It used to not bother me so much, but now the thought of her staying awake and putting herself in harm's way…

"Hello," she sang softly. He chuckled to himself, hiding his feelings yet again on this outing.

"Don't overdo it, Estelle. If you feel like you're beginning to fade just…" come into my room and fall asleep next to me. "Ask Repede to finish the watch." She pouted cherry blossom lips.

"He doesn't like me, though."

"Well…" His pulse quickened, brain working furiously to come up with an answer without inviting her into his room. She was the princess after all, and he needed to be the responsible one. "Ask him to do it as a favor for me."

"No need, you two." Judith walked up from the lake. Estelle's face turned bright red, and Yuri ignored that cute sight to focus on the more...flirtatious woman. She eyed him with a knowing that slightly unnerved him. "I can take the watch. I've been sleeping next to Ba'ul for the past few hours."

"Oh, thank you, Judith," Estelle grinned. "Yuri, will you promise me that you'll get some rest?" Yuri didn't expect this question, because usually she asked if he would walk with her to wherever she was bunking for the night. Is she trying to lure me to follow her?

I wasn't going to fall for that bait.

Judith and I watched as the princess turned on her heel, her hips swaying with each elegant step. And once she had disappeared into her tent, Judith turned on me.

"Aren't you going to follow her?" She was astute, sharp as Rita's whip. Yuri, however, couldn't dare to approach Estelle. Not tonight, not any night—he swore to Flynn her innocence would be intact upon her succession to the throne, and she would marry either Ioder or…him. The thought angered him, and unconsciously he had balled his empty hand into a fist.

"Ah, I see," she said, as if she knew exactly what he had been thinking. "What do you expect from her, though?"

"Judy, please…I don't want to talk about it now." The blue-haired Krityan only shrugged.

"All right, goodnight Yuri," and she leaned in to kiss his cheek. The motion didn't shock him as she smiled friendly, but he still didn't enjoy the contact.

"Take care," he issued as he made his way into his own tent. She disappeared into the treetops, making no sound, leaving Yuri to wander in the silent, moonlit night.

"Repede," Yuri called out, and the dog-like animal approached him immediately. Petting his head gingerly he said, "thank you for protecting Estelle today. I was too engrossed in the fight, and I didn't realize that she was being targeted." Repede only nuzzled Yuri's hand, as if to say, "It's no big deal."

What Yuri didn't know was that Estelle was listening in her tent to their miniature conversation.

"It's a big deal to me, Repede. You know how I feel about her."

"Aru-ruff…"

"Thanks for understanding, boy. Rest well." Karol was already asleep when he reached his tent, snoring lightly.

"Hey, old man," he whispered, ducking to get inside. Raven chuckled lightly, brushing Karol's hair fondly.

"You know, this kid amazes me," the older man said. It was Yuri's turn to laugh. "The vigor of youth, heh." Yuri nodded, yawning.

"Judy taking the watch?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Little Miss Estellise was complaining to Rita a little while ago. What did you do to piss her off?"

"Me? Nothing, I didn't do anything!" Raven got the 'I know all' look on his face.

"There lies the problem." This made no sense to Yuri. Why on earth would Estelle want him to do something? Did she want to lose her heritage, her ascension to the throne? He wouldn't let her give that up, not for him. He wanted her to be with him, but he knew better than to covet what should not be. Such an innocent woman should never be tainted with the transgressions I have put on myself.

"What do you mean, old man," Yuri asked him suspiciously, although, he already knew what the ex-captain was thinking. Raven chuckled at Yuri's seemingly obtuseness.

"I mean is that Estelle doesn't want those two vying for her attention. She was a certain someone that's here." He winked as if to emphasize exactly who it was that the princess wanted.

"I'm not right for her. Flynn or even Ioder would be better. They haven't killed people for sport."

"Neither have you; you did it for those who were tormented and killed by those two." Raven's defense of his honor touched him. His father would have never said that to him, not that his father was ever around. Hanks was like his father, too, but more of an elderly figure to look up to in the village.

"They still don't have the blood on their hands like I do." Raven shook his head.

"She knows that, doesn't she? And she still wants to be with you, doesn't she?" Yuri huffed, and turned his back on the old man.

"I'm going to help Judith. I'll see you later."


TBC...