Author's Note: More sap! I'm trying to write a bunch (12) of sappy MegaTen stories for Christmas. Don't know if I'll quite make it since I'm pretty busy (and in Japan), but I'll see what I can do. Hopefully I can at least make some people happy to see some underrepresented characters/games in all of this. This one is set one year after the neutral ending of SMTIV. If you do not want spoilers for that ending do not read this. If you haven't finished the game at all do not read this. Spoilers are instantaneous. Seriously, stop reading now in that instance. If you so much as skim there will be spoilers. You have been warned. On the other hand, if that's not an issue, please enjoy.

Flynn stood in front of two simple stone markers. One had a yellow ascot tied around it. The second one had a smaller blue scarf around its top. A sheathed sword hung off of both of them.

He'd never found their gauntlets.

"May I join you?" Isabeau walked up beside him. She had grown her hair out in the last year, now wearing it in a ponytail much like his, but she still kept her uniform. They both did.

Flynn smiled slightly. He was glad she had come.

"We first saw Tokyo from here," she commented. "The view is still amazing."

He nodded. You could now seen green patches all over the city, not from poison but from growing fields. At night the lights would sparkle and people lit fires and turned on their lights. There might still be demons, but they grew scarcer by the day even as the amount of defense in the above-ground settlements increased.

She walked closer to the edge. "Actually, I think it's better. And the air smells nice now too."

"And you can read your manga."

"Hey! That's just...a side perk. The monks have done a good job restoring the damaged books of Tokyo. Good thing we know how to take care of such things. It's strange how many of the people from here remember them though."

There'd been a lot of incidents like that. Flynn got the distinct impression that time had been strange in Mikado, even if he couldn't quite place it. The people of Tokyo remembered events that had clearly happened during the founding of Mikado, even though several generation had passed.

Or at least, that was the supposed history. Flynn wasn't entirely convinced Mikado had been as old as stated and memories hadn't been altered.

And maybe none of that really mattered. They had to look forward. He turned to Isabeau. Forward. He had always felt closer to Jonathan and Walter, but now it was Isabeau who stood beside him. Isabeau who had helped him realize this ideal. Isabeau who survived.

Forward, huh?

She came over again before bowing at each grave in turn. "They were good comrades."

"Yeah."

"But we have many more now."

"I know."

"And maybe we'll fight with them one day too. I just hope it never gets so far again."

Flynn nodded.

"Flynn?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you regret what happened?"

"Only between all of us. I don't regret where we are."

She smiled.

She really did have a beautiful smile.

"Good. I was afraid you thought you'd made the wrong decision."

In making a world where someone could smile like this? No, he'd definitely made the right decision.

And maybe, maybe it was time for another decision.

"Huh? Do I have something on my face?"

"Your smile."

Isabeau blushed slightly. She'd been blushing more and more. He spent a lot of time with her, so he'd been able to notice something like that. He had thought it was just overall happiness, but sometimes when they were alone he could feel words hanging between them.

"Isabeau?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you want?"

"Me? I want a good world, where people can-"

"No. What do you want? For you?"

"How am I supposed to answer that?" She looked away. "What about you? You can't ask something like that without having your own answer. It's inconsiderate."

"Well…" he looked at the graves, "I want to prove to them we were right. No. I want to remember our friendship, to build a world where a group like us could be friends and no one would die. I want those I love to be safe. I…" He'd never been exactly a master of words and now they just caught in his throat.

"You?" Isabeau looked at him again.

He turned directly to her again. "I want you to be safe. I know you...I know you can take care of yourself, but I don't want you to have to."

"Flynn." She turned as well. "I don't want you to have to fight either. I've been thinking about it a lot with all the manga, and...I don't want to feel like you might die any moment. Or me. Or anyone." She stood a little straighter. "But when I think of it being you it makes me want to cry. It's doesn't just make me sad, or motivated to make things safer as a samurai, as me, but something deeper. You are very dear to me. This world wouldn't exist without you."

"Or you," Flynn reminded her. He couldn't have done it without her support. The sin of being forced to kill his friends would have weighed on him too heavily, and he would have just stepped aside and watched.

Having fought both of them, he had the feeling that if he had done that Walter and Jonathan would have just ended up killing each other.

"Heh. I didn't do as much as you."

"But I knew I'd come back to you. I knew you'd still be there."

"What's with the past tense? I'm still here you know."

Flynn reached out to grab her hand. "Hmm."

She wrapped his hand in her hands. "I'm not some illusion or dream. I swear to you, I'm here to stay."

"Is that what you want?"

"Yes. I want to stay with you. I want to know that I will always return to you. That you will always be there, and for you to know that I will always be there for you."

He took a step closer to her. "I want a world where you can be happy."

She stepped forward. "I want a world where you can be happy."

They now stood very close.

"I love you," Isabeau said softly.

He nodded slightly before kissing her on the forehead.

"Heh. You make me feel like some child."

"Sorry. I assure you. I don't feel that way."

"Then how do you feel?" She stared him straight in the eyes.

"That you're a beautiful, intelligent woman, and the most loyal companion and friend anyone could ask for. That you are exactly the sort of person anyone would be lucky to have beside them."

"Well then, count yourself lucky."

He already knew he was lucky. He could feel the sunlight on his face. He hadn't had to use Burrough's for several days. He had someone very dear to him. Someone who felt the same way about him.

"Isabeau?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"Idiot." She kissed him.

It felt amazing.

Dear friends,

Tokyo thrives. I don't know what it was like before, but there is enough food and the demons no longer attack the settlements. We're starting to work on a proper trade system and plan to reach out to the rest of the world soon. We don't know what will happen. Isabeau and I don't know what to expect.

Walter, please lend me your strength. Jonathan, please lend me your patience.

As for Isabeau, she is doing quite well. We are doing quite well. To be honest, I intend to propose to her soon. A part of me feels like I'm rushing, but I don't doubt that it's the right decision. It's nice not to doubt. I doubted everything before, but I can honestly say to you now that it was all worth it.

Even your deaths, as much as I wish it had never come to that. I like to think that if you had achieved your ideals you would feel the hope I feel now.

I will never hold our fights personally. Ever. If I could forgive Navarre his ignorance then I can forgive two of my closest friends for fighting for their beliefs. I can only try to have as much conviction as the two of you.

Please, watch over Tokyo. Ensure that she remains peaceful and strong. I can't think of any others I would trust to that request.

I promise you. She will thrive, and I will lead a good life.

I sincerely hope to see both of you again one day, and even more so I hope that it doesn't end if fighting or sadness, just the friendship we always felt.

Sincerely,

Flynn

Author's Note: Because just a kiss would be too little. Anyway, pretty sure I just made myself like this pairing. Hope it was a pleasant little romp. Also, I am aiming for twelve stories/couples, but don't have that many pairings yet, so suggestions are welcome. Note that I have not played anything not localized in the States, Devil Survivor, or Digital Devil Saga. Sorry. Working on fixing that, but these games aren't exactly short and neither are Tales games. Also, if you want to send a suggestion please check my profile for what I've already done. Thanks!